The village name is a compound of Brythonic and Anglo Saxon origins, which is a common occurrence in this part of the country. The Brythonic breg means 'hill', and the Anglo Saxon hyll also means 'hill'. In the Domesday Book of 1086 the village was recorded as Brichelle. The affix 'Great' was added in the Twelfth century to differentiate from nearby Bow Brickhill and Little Brickhill, though since that time Little Brickhill has far outgrown the other two.
The parish church is dedicated to St Mary the Virgin.