Gramercy - and other puzzling names

[Vimto]

I have often puzzled over the word "Gramercy". I have come across it on numerous occasions usually in the U.S.A. I have stayed in a Gramercy hotel in Washington D.C. and walked in a Gramercy Park in Manhattan. I presumed there must have been a "Mr. Gramercy" who had done meritorious things to have all these institutions named after him. Let,s face it, the name hardly rolls off the tongue; in fact, it is quite an ugly word. I googled it and was swamped with all things Gramercy. The origin of the word I was informed was from the Dutch "krom moerasje" meaning "little crooked knife". Now I can't imagine anyone, not even our American cousins, naming a hotel, a grand park ane all manner of other things after a little crooked knife! Can anyone help me to understand? Another name one frequently comes across in America is "Rickenbacker" where one can drive along the Rickenbacker highway etc. I fancy that in this case there probably was a Mr. Rickenbacker but just who was he? One more to get off my chest: everywhere one travels in that diverse and largely beautiful country, from large cities to small towns, one sees on almost all banks the phrase "first bank of", I've never seen "second bank of " or "third bank of". What does this signify? Please advise.

[Mr Veritas]

An explanation of Gramercy here:~
http://en.wikipedia.o...i/Gramercy,_Manhattan
If you scroll down you will see it is named after a little brook that was like a little knife.
More on the possible origin of Rickenbacker here:~
http://www.lexiology....d_vernon_rickenbacker
http://www.thefreedictionary.com/Rickenbacker

[jno]

nobody thinks there's any glory in coming second, so you wouldn't include it in your name, I suppose

Rickenbacker is just a surname, originally meaning someone from Rickenbach - there are a few of these in Germany and Switzerland. So they'd probably have derived from German immigrants, like Hamburger and Frankfurter.

[Garmard]

I have studied the rhymes of Robin Hood in Medieval text for many years and the word 'Gramercy' is used a lot and is a gesture of goodwill or thank-you.

[paddywak]

Don't know if it's true or not but I'm sure I read somewhwere that it started as the greeting " God Grant You Mercy" and as happens over the years it as shortened to Gramercy