Show ContentsRaulston History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The annals of Scottish history reveal that Raulston was first used as a name by descendants of the Pictish tribe of ancient Scotland. The Raulston family lived in the lands or barony of Ralston, which are near Paisley in the county of Renfrew (now part of the Strathclyde region).

Early Origins of the Raulston family

The surname Raulston was first found in Renfrewshire (Gaelic: Siorrachd Rinn Friù), a historic county of Scotland, today encompassing the Council Areas of Renfrew, East Renfrewshire, and Iverclyde, in the Strathclyde region of southwestern Scotland, at Ralston, (Gaelic: Baile Raghnaill) a small suburban settlement bordering onto the eastern edge of the town of Paisley. It is generally believed the place name Ralston takes its name from the ancient feudal estates of Ralphistoun (Ralph's town), named after the younger son of the Earl of Fife, and dates back to the early 12th century.

Later and further to the south, Rowlston was a hamlet in the parish of Mappleton, union of Skirlaugh, N. division of the wapentake of Holderness in the East Riding of Yorkshire. "This place, in Domesday Book called Roolfestone, belonged in the 15th century to a family of the local name, and, after passing through several other families." [1] This hamlet is now been formally amalgamated into the village and civil parish of Mappleton. Rowlstone is a parish and village in Herefordshire.

Early History of the Raulston family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Raulston research. Another 107 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1296, 1447, 1448, 1452, 1705 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Raulston History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Raulston Spelling Variations

During the Middle Ages, there was no basic set of rules and scribes wrote according to sound. The correct spelling of Scottish names were further compromised after many haphazard translations from Gaelic to English and back. Spelling variations of the name Raulston include Ralston, Ralstoun, Rowlston, Rowlstone and others.

Early Notables of the Raulston family

Another 33 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Raulston Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Raulston Ranking

In the United States, the name Raulston is the 15,693rd most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. [2]

Ireland Migration of the Raulston family to Ireland

Some of the Raulston family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 59 words (4 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


United States Raulston migration to the United States +

Scots left their country by the thousands to travel to Australia and North America. Desperate for freedom and an opportunity to fend for themselves, many paid huge fees and suffered under terrible conditions on long voyages. Still, for those who made the trip, freedom and opportunity awaited. In North America, many fought their old English oppressors in the American War of Independence. In recent years, Scottish heritage has been an increasingly important topic, as Clan societies and other organizations have renewed people's interest in their history. An examination of passenger and immigration lists shows many early settlers bearing the name of Raulston:

Raulston Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • D Raulston, who arrived in San Francisco, California in 1851 [3]
  • Bridget Raulston, aged 28, who settled in America, in 1893
  • Thomas Raulston, aged 53, who settled in America, in 1895
  • Wm. Raulston, aged 24, who landed in America, in 1895
  • James Raulston, aged 40, who landed in America from Donegal, in 1899
Raulston Settlers in United States in the 20th Century
  • Zelma Raulston, who immigrated to the United States, in 1903
  • Joseph Raulston, aged 11, who landed in America from Castlegay, in 1903
  • J.B. Raulston, aged 44, who immigrated to the United States, in 1908
  • Richard Raulston, aged 34, who landed in America from Derry, Ireland, in 1909
  • Mary E. Raulston, aged 45, who immigrated to the United States, in 1911
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Raulston (post 1700) +

  • William S. Raulston, American Republican politician, Postmaster at Chattanooga, Tennessee, 1905-13 [4]
  • Sam R. Raulston, American Republican politician, Alternate Delegate to Republican National Convention from Tennessee, 1960 [4]
  • Mrs. J. Leonard Raulston, American Republican politician, Presidential Elector for Tennessee, 1956 [4]
  • J. L. Raulston, American Republican politician, Alternate Delegate to Republican National Convention from Tennessee, 1952 [4]
  • J. L. Raulston, American Republican politician, Mayor of Poplar Bluff, Missouri, 1943 [4]
  • John Tate Raulston (1868-1956), American state judge in Tennessee, best known for presiding over the 1925 Scopes Trial
  • Raulston Schoolfield, American Democratic Party politician, Candidate in primary for Governor of Tennessee, 1954 [5]


The Raulston Motto +

The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.

Motto: Fide et marte
Motto Translation: By fidelity and military service.


  1. Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
  2. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  3. 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)
  4. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2016, January 28) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
  5. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, October 22) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html


Houseofnames.com on Facebook