Rayes History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
France

From the historical and enchanting region of France emerged a multitude of noble families, including the distinguished Rayes family. Originally, the French people were known only by a single name. The process by which hereditary surnames were adopted in France is extremely interesting. Surnames evolved during the Middle Ages when people began to assume an extra name to avoid confusion and to further identify themselves. Often they adopted names that were derived from nicknames. Nickname surnames were derived from an eke-name, or added name. They usually reflected the physical characteristics or attributes of the first person that used the name. The name Rayes is a nickname type of surname for a person of regal bearing or a person who played a king in a local festival. Looking back further, we find the name Rayes was derived from the Old French word "roy," meaning "king."

Early Origins of the Rayes family

The surname Rayes was first found in Burgundy (French: Bourgogne), an administrative and historical region of east-central France, where the family has held a family seat since ancient times.

Early History of the Rayes family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Rayes research. Another 148 words (11 lines of text) covering the years 1098, 1306, 1330, 1470, 1533, 1570, 1583, 1645, 1726 and 1803 are included under the topic Early Rayes History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Rayes Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Ray, Rays, Raie, Raies, Raye, Rayes, Rée, Rées, Rait, Rey, Reys, Rei, Reis, Duray, Leray, De Laray, Laray, du Ray, de Ray, Delurey and many more.

Early Notables of the Rayes family

Another 49 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Rayes Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Rayes Ranking

In the United States, the name Rayes is the 17,178^th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 1

Rayes migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Rayes Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

John Rayes, who arrived in Virginia in 1701 2

Rayes Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Jastaguro Rayes, aged 48, who landed in New Orleans, La in 1829 2

Rayes migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Rayes Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Charles Rayes, aged 39, a wheelwright, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Bebington" in 1872
Emily Rayes, aged 30, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Bebington" in 1872
William Rayes, aged 11, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Bebington" in 1872
Francis E. Rayes, aged 5, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Bebington" in 1872
Ellen M. Rayes, aged 6 months, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Bebington" in 1872

The Rayes 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: Gracieuseté de Ray
Motto Translation: The graciousness of Ray

Citations +

"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)