Show ContentsRavelo History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The name Ravelo has a long French heritage that first began in southern region of Languedoc. The name is derived from when the family lived in Languedoc but the name could have also been derived from the Old French word "grave," which meant "gravel."

Early Origins of the Ravelo family

The surname Ravelo was first found in Languedoc, where the family has held a family seat since very early times.

Early History of the Ravelo family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Ravelo research. Another 215 words (15 lines of text) covering the years 1096, 1150, 1248, 1651, 1669, 1708 and 1788 are included under the topic Early Ravelo History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Ravelo Spelling Variations

Most surnames have experienced slight spelling changes. A son may not chose to spell his name the same way that his father did. Many were errors, many deliberate. During the early development of the French language, a person usually gave his version, phonetically, to a scribe, a priest, or a recorder. Prefixes or suffixes varied. They were optional as they passed through the centuries, or were adopted by different branches to signify either a political or religious adherence. Hence, there a many spelling variations of the name Ravelo, including Grave, Grève, de Grèves, Grauve, Greive, Le Grave, de Grave, Graves and many more.

Early Notables of the Ravelo family

Notable amongst the family name at this time was Hugues, a Lord of Villegly and of Félines; and Jacques Gravier (1651-1708), a French Jesuit missionary in the New World from Moulins, Allier...
Another 32 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Ravelo Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Ravelo family

Approximately 110 years after the first landings by Cartier, there were only about 300 people in Quebec. France gave land incentives for 2,000 migrants during the next decade. Early marriage was desperately encouraged amongst the immigrants. The fur trade attracted migrants, both noble and commoner. 15,000 explorers left Montreal in the late 17th and 18th centuries. By 1675, there were 7000 French in Quebec. Migration to New France (Quebec) continued from France until it fell in 1759. In the year 1675 the Acadian presence in Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island had reached 500. In 1755, 10,000 French Acadians refused to take an oath of allegiance to England and were deported to Louisiana. The French founded Lower Canada, thus becoming one of the two great founding nations of Canada. The distinguished family name Ravelo has made significant contributions to the culture, arts, sciences and religion of France and New France. Amongst the settlers in North America with this distinguished name Ravelo were George Grave settled with his wife Elnor and son, John, aged 10; in Virginia in 1620; Hermon Up De Grave settled in Germantown, Pa. in 1693; Joan Grave, aged 30.


Contemporary Notables of the name Ravelo (post 1700) +

  • Mars Ravelo (1916-1988), Filipino graphic novelist who created the characters Darna, Dyesebel, Captain Barbell, Lastikman, Bondying, Varga and many more
  • Jerson Ravelo (b. 1977), Dominican Republic boxer at the 2000 Summer Olympics


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