Ragsdale History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

The surname Ragsdale comes from the place name Ragdale, in Leicestershire. 1 The place dates back to the Domesday Book where it was listed as Ragendele, located in Goscote Wapentake and held by Robert de Bucy. It consisted of 30 acres of meadows and held enough property for 6 ploughs. 2 The name was derived from the Old English hraca + dael, which probably meant "valley of the gully or narrow pass." 3

Early Origins of the Ragsdale family

The surname Ragsdale was first found in 1202, when one Stephen de Raggedal made a plea before the King or his justice.

Early History of the Ragsdale family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Ragsdale research. The years 1530 and 1591 are included under the topic Early Ragsdale History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Ragsdale Spelling Variations

Until quite recently, the English language has lacked a definite system of spelling rules. Consequently, Anglo-Saxon surnames are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. Changes in Anglo-Saxon names were influenced by the evolution of the English language, as it incorporated elements of French, Latin, and other languages. Although Medieval scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded, so it is common to find one person referred to by several different spellings of his surname, even the most literate people varied the spelling of their own names. Variations of the name Ragsdale include Ragdale, Ragsdale and others.

Early Notables of the Ragsdale family

Distinguished members of the family include

Owen Ragsdale (d.1591), a man noted for his piety and charity who founded Jesus Hospital in Rothwell

Ragsdale Ranking

In the United States, the name Ragsdale is the 2,096^th most popular surname with an estimated 14,922 people with that name. 4

Ragsdale migration to the United States +

Searching for a better life, many English families migrated to British colonies. Unfortunately, the majority of them traveled under extremely harsh conditions: overcrowding on the ships caused the majority of the immigrants to arrive diseased, famished, and destitute from the long journey across the ocean. For those families that arrived safely, modest prosperity was attainable, and many went on to make invaluable contributions to the development of the cultures of the new colonies. Research into the origins of individual families in North America revealed records of the immigration of a number of people bearing the name Ragsdale or a variant listed above:

Ragsdale Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Godfrey and Anthony Ragsdale, who settled in Virginia in 1673 and 1690

Ragsdale Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Peter Ragsdale, who landed in Texas in 1830 5

Ragsdale Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

J.W. Ragsdale, who landed in America, in 1909
Elisabeth Ragsdale, aged 8, who immigrated to the United States, in 1910
Alin Hulett Ragsdale, aged 32, who landed in America, in 1912
Harry Ragsdale, aged 37, who immigrated to the United States, in 1914
Harry B. Ragsdale, aged 37, who landed in America, in 1914
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Ragsdale (post 1700) +

Heather Ann Ragsdale (b. 1981), American retired soccer player from Arlington, Texas
Jeff Ragsdale, American author, activist, actor, best known for his 2012 book Jeff, One Lonely Guy
George Ragsdale (b. 1951), former professional American running back for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Lincoln Johnson Ragsdale Sr. (1926-1995), American leader in the Phoenix-area African-American Civil Rights Movement
David Lasater Ragsdale (b. 1958), American violinist for the rock band Kansas
Virginia Ragsdale (1870-1945), American teacher and a mathematician specializing in number theory, creator of the Ragsdale conjecture
James Willard Ragsdale (1872-1919), American politician, U.S. Representative from South Carolina
William Ragsdale (b. 1961), American actor, best known for his roles in Herman's Head (1991) and Fright Night (1985)
Isaac Newton Ragsdale, American politician
Daniel P. Ragsdale, American Libertarian politician, Candidate for Texas State House of Representatives 123rd District, 2006 6
... (Another 12 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Citations +

Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
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)
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, October 26) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html