Show ContentsRainbolt History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Early Origins of the Rainbolt family

The surname Rainbolt was first found in Gloucestershire where they held a family seat as Lords of the Manor. After the Battle of Hastings in 1066, William, Duke of Normandy, having prevailed over King Harold, granted most of Britain to his many victorious Barons. It was not uncommon to find a Baron, or a Bishop, with 60 or more Lordships scattered throughout the country. These he gave to his sons, nephews and other junior lines of his family and they became known as under-tenants. They adopted the Norman system of surnames which identified the under-tenant with his holdings so as to distinguish him from the senior stem of the family. After many rebellious wars between his Barons, Duke William, commissioned a census of all England to determine in 1086, settling once and for all, who held which land. He called the census the Domesday Book, [1] indicating that those holders registered would hold the land until the end of time. Hence, conjecturally, the surname is descended from the tenant of the lands of Rainbertus Flandrensis who was recorded in the Domesday Book census of 1086. The name was later recorded in Middlesex.

Early History of the Rainbolt family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Rainbolt research. Another 75 words (5 lines of text) covering the years 1587, 1608, 1610, 1639, 1642, 1648, 1673 and 1684 are included under the topic Early Rainbolt History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Rainbolt Spelling Variations

Norman surnames are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. The frequent changes in surnames are largely due to the fact that the Old and Middle English languages lacked definite spelling rules. The introduction of Norman French to England, as well as the official court languages of Latin and French, also had pronounced influences on the spelling of surnames. Since medieval scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded, rather than adhering to any specific spelling rules, it was common to find the same individual referred to with different spellings. The name has been spelled Rainbird, Raynbird, Rambart, Rambert, Ramart, Rainbold, Rainbow, Rainbold, Renbold, Rainbaud, Rinbalt, Reinbald, Rainbald, Renbald and many more.

Early Notables of the Rainbolt family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was Sir William Rainsborough (ca.1587-1642), an English Captain and Vice-Admiral in the Royal Navy, English ambassador to Morocco; William Rainsborowe (fl. 1639-1673), or Rainsborough, Rainborough, Rainborowe or Rainbow, a Leveller and an officer in the English Navy and New Model Army in England during the English Civil War and the Interregnum, settler to...
Another 60 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Rainbolt Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Rainbolt Ranking

In the United States, the name Rainbolt is the 9,515th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. [2]


United States Rainbolt migration to the United States +

Many English families emigrated to North American colonies in order to escape the political chaos in Britain at this time. Unfortunately, many English families made the trip to the New World 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 stormy Atlantic. Despite these hardships, many of the families prospered and went on to make invaluable contributions to the development of the cultures of the United States and Canada. Early North American immigration records have revealed a number of people bearing the name Rainbolt or a variant listed above:

Rainbolt Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • Ludowick Rainbolt, who arrived in Philadelphia in 1764

Contemporary Notables of the name Rainbolt (post 1700) +

  • Jack Rainbolt, American College Football play-by-play announcer for ABS Sports in 1966
  • Julie Rainbolt, American cheerleader for the Houston Texans in 2005
  • Jerry Rainbolt, American actor, known for Blood, Guts, Bullets and Octane (1998)
  • Robert Rainbolt, American actor, known for Army Wives (2007), Dogs of Chinatown (2010) and The Mill (2008)
  • William Rainbolt, American Associate Professor, Director of the Journalism Program at the University at Albany
  • Steven Rainbolt, American recipient of the Peabody 2013 Excellence in Teaching Award
  • George Rainbolt, American Professor and Chair of the Department of Philosophy at Georgia State University


  1. Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
  2. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/


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