Gournay-en-Bray

English

Etymology

French, attested as Old French Gornai in 1049.

• The first element is probably of Celtic origin, from Proto-Celtic *gorn (“fishery, reach”) + *-ako, Latinized as Latin -acum.
• The second element was added in 1962 to avoid confusion with Gournay-le-Guérin in the department of Eure. It references Pays de Bray and is of Celtic/Gaulish origin, from *braco, for which see braye (“mud, daub”).

Proper noun

Gournay-en-Bray

1. A commune in Seine-Maritime department, Normandy, France.

References

• Adigard des Gautries - Les noms de lieux de la Seine-Maritime attestés entre 911 et 1066 (suite), page 149
• Pierre-Yves Lambert, La Langue gauloise, éditions Errance, 1994.