It was built by the Denaby Main Colliery Company to house its workers and their families, and originally given the name Denaby Main Colliery Village, to distinguish it from the village of Denaby, about ⅔ mile away on the road to Hooton Roberts and Kilnhurst; from that time, the old village became known as Old Denaby. In due course the "Colliery Village" part of the name was lost, leaving the village to be known as Denaby Main.
The Denaby Main Colliery Company constructed a site for its employees and their families, initially calling it Denaby Main Colliery Village to differentiate it from the nearby Denaby village, approximately ⅔ mile away on the route to Hooton Roberts and Kilnhurst; eventually, "Colliery Village" was omitted from the name, leaving only Denaby Main.