The origin of the town's name is uncertain.
It is generally accepted, however, that the town is named
after the
Gaelic "Grianaig" meaning a sunny place. The suggestion
that the town's name comes from the words Green Oak
is merely
folk etymology, but the image has been taken as a logo
for the town's main shopping centre, The Oak Mall and
was once emblazoned on the local
Co-operative Society emblem. The myth that 'Greenock'
derives from 'Green Oak' is also perpetrated in a local song
(The Green Oak Tree). Significantly, no green oak
appears on the town's
coat of arms which features three sugar caskets, a
sailing ship in full sail and three
herring above the motto God Speed Greenock.
