The attested forms are de Girangis, without date (cartulary of Préaux) ;[4] Granchae in 1198 (magni rotuli scacc. p. 58, 2) ;[5] [Johannes de] Guerengues in 1216 (AC, H 321); [Apud] Grengueis in 1220 ; Grengues in 1282 (AN, J 220,2) ;[6][4] Greyngues in 1282 (cart. norm. n° 996, p. 256) ; Granges Generenciæ in the 13th century (cart. of Préaux) ; Grenguez 14th century ; Grenchiæ 16th century (Lisieux, p. 52).[5]
This is a medieval toponymic formation, probably old since it is not preceded by the definite article. François de Beaurepaire brings Grangues closer to Goring (Oxford, Garinges 10th century); Goring (Sussex, Garinges 10th century) and Gerringe (Denmark, Gaeringhe 1470), without specifying the etymology.[4] The two British Gorings admit as etymology, either "property of the family or relatives of a man called *Gāra, an unattested Old English personal name, followed by the Germanic suffix -ingas, [7][8] or “the people at the end, from the corner of the piece of land”, on Old English gāra 'piece of land' + suffix -ingas.[7] The Old Norse word geiri influenced by the Old English gāra 'piece of land, probably triangular' > gaire, is well attested in Norman toponymy, generally it gave the microtoponyms La Gare or La Guerre.[9][10]
