Rab History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Germany

The name is derived from an Old-German personal name, which meant "raven."

Early Origins of the Rab family

The surname Rab was first found in Austria, where the name was anciently associated with the tribal conflicts of the area. They declared allegiance to many nobles and princes of early history, lending their influence in struggles for power and status within the region. They branched into many houses, and their contributions were sought by many leaders in their search for power. Chronicles first mention Kunz Rabl of Prague in 1385.

Early History of the Rab family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Rab research. Another 245 words (18 lines of text) covering the years 1230, 1350, 1545, 1703, 1745, 1831, 1852 and 1910 are included under the topic Early Rab History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Rab Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Raabe, Rabe, Rab, Raaber, Raber, Rave (northern Germany), Rabe, Rabl (Bavaria), Rable, Rabb, Raab and many more.

Early Notables of the Rab family

During this period prominent bearers of the name Rab were

Johann Jakob Rabe (1545-86) was a priest of Strasbourg and a polemical writer in the service of the Counter-Reformation...

Rab migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Rab Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Kilian Rab, who sailed to America in 1709
Killiaen Rab, who arrived in New York in 1709 1
Peter Rab, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1737 1
Johannes Rab, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1742 1
Joh Georg Rab, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1753 1
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Rab (post 1700) +

Rab Noakes (b. 1947), Scottish singer-songwriter

Citations +

Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)