Survey of English Place-Names

Historical Forms

• Revey Nabbe 1541 WYD

• (a beaken called) Revey beaken 1597,1601 ib

• Revey 1570 1632 PRBfd

• Ryvey 1574 WYD

• Revey Hall 1593 ib

• a hill called Revey 1541 ib

• Hill Top 1843 O.S.

Etymology

Reevy Beacon Hill, Revey Nabbe 1541 WYD, (a beaken called ) Revey beaken 1597, 1601 ib, Reevy Hall, Revey 1570 ib, 1632 PRBfd, Ryvey 1574 WYD, Revey Hall 1593 ib, Reevy Hill Top, a hill called Revey 1541 ib, Hill Top 1843 O.S., cf. also Revey Crosse 1541 WYD, Revey Inge 1579 ib, Revey Yate 1593, 1650 ib. The name probably has reference to a very prominent hill on a long ridge, and it appears to be from ON  refr 'a fox' and possibly ON  haugr 'a hill' (which is often reduced to -ey in later forms of other p.ns.); but in Wibsey infra on the same ridge we have the possibility of an OE  hēah2 'a height', which would be equally appropriate here, and perhaps in the parallel Riffa (Leathley) pt. v infra . v. also nabbi 'hill', bēacon 'beacon' and cf. Beldon Hill 247infra (which was apparently a name for part of the same hill), cros , eng , geat .