Brentingby, in the Framland Hundred of Leicestershire, is a difficult place-name that presents several problems. It is potentially an Anglo-Scandinavian hybrid from the Old English male personal name Branting or Brenting combined with Old Norse by ‘a farmland, a village’.

Alternatively the name could be ‘the by of Brant’s people’ with the Old English –ingas ‘people of’ place-name forming element. However, an Old English folk-name combined with Old Norse by is unusual.

Another suggestion is that an early Old English place-name Branting/Brenting, from Old English brant ‘steep’ and the place-name forming suffix –ing, was later compounded with Old Norse by thus ‘the farmstead, village at Branting (‘the steep place’)’. Brentingby stands on a steep slope above the flood-plain of the River Eye.