The name is likely derived from the Welsh graean, gravel, and rhyd, ford: there is still a ford across the River Terrig on a minor road east of the village. There are several limestone and silicate quarries in the immediate area, which is on the borders of the Clwydian Range Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty; the Clwydian Way footpath runs nearby. The area is predominantly agricultural with a landscape of woods and pastureland.