Survey of English Place-Names

Historical Forms

• Gannou 1330 Ch

• Gannowe 1408 IpmR 1462 Pat 1535 VE

• le Gannowe 1421 FF 1445 ADvi

• Ganho 1580 WillsP

• Gannow 1659 FF

• Gannou, Gannowe 1336,1343 Ipm

Etymology

The history of this name must be taken along with that of Gannow in Inkberrow supra 327, Gannah (He) in Holme Lacy, Gannou , Gannowe in 1336, 1343 Ipm, Gannow (La), Ganhow in 1526 (PN La 83) and croft voc. Gannowestockynge , pratum voc. Gannoweslonde in Haseley (Wa) in 1505 (MinAccts ). It is clear that in all these names the second element is OE  hoh, and Professors Ekwall and Zachrisson agree in suggesting that the first is OE  gamen , 'game, play,' with the somewhat unusual assimilation of mn to nn at an early date. If that is the case, these hohs must have been places where games of some kind were held. We have one other such compound of gamen in Wo in gamenhulle infra 394, cf. also Ganfield Hundred (Berks), DBGamenesfelle . Förstemann (ON i. 994) gives examples of such compounds in German names.