Show ContentsReaney History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The first people to use the name Reaney were a family of Strathclyde-Britons who lived in the Scottish/English Borderlands. The name comes from when someone lived in De Reiney, or Rigny, in Champagne, France. "Hagebert de Rigneio, in 1101, witnessed a charter of the Bishop of Tulle, and may have been the same that possessed lands in Essex in 1086 [1] Roger de Reigny witnessed a charter of Bishop Roger of Sarum, temp. Hen. I., and Robert de Reigny held five fees in Devon in 1165." [2] Newton-Reigny, in the Forest of Inglewood, was their seat in Cumberland. [3]

Early Origins of the Reaney family

The surname Reaney was first found in Angus (Gaelic: Aonghas), part of the Tayside region of northeastern Scotland, and present day Council Area of Angus, formerly known as Forfar or Forfarshire.

"The Ranys or Rennys were extensive owners of land in the district of Craig in Angus from the middle of the fifteenth century, and the Rennies of Usan were recognized as an old family. Symon Renny was bailie of Inverkeithing in 1362. John Rayny, pelliparius, was burgess of Stirling in 1436." [4]

Early History of the Reaney family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Reaney research. Another 187 words (13 lines of text) covering the years 1402, 1409, 1526, 1572, 1592, 1798 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Reaney History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Reaney Spelling Variations

Surnames that evolved in Scotland in the Middle Ages often appear under many spelling variations. These are due to the practice of spelling according to sound in the era before dictionaries had standardized the English language. Reaney has appeared as Rayney, Rainy, Rainey, Rainnie, Rennie, Renny and many more.

Early Notables of the Reaney family

More information is included under the topic Early Reaney Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Ireland Migration of the Reaney family to Ireland

Some of the Reaney family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 124 words (9 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


United States Reaney migration to the United States +

The North American colonies beckoned, with their ample land and opportunity as their freedom from the persecution suffered by so many Clan families back home. Many Scots even fought against England in the American War of Independence to gain this freedom. Recently, clan societies have allowed the ancestors of these brave Scottish settlers to rediscover their familial roots. Among them:

Reaney Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Martin Reaney, who landed in Colorado in 1881 [5]

Contemporary Notables of the name Reaney (post 1700) +

  • Thomas Reaney, American co-founder of Reaney, Son & Archbold, an American iron shipbuilding company in Chester, Pennsylvania in 1859
  • J. H. Reaney, American politician, Member of Minnesota State Senate 23rd District, 1879 [6]
  • Thomas Reaney, English footballer who played from 1904 to 1905
  • Les Reaney (b. 1984), Canadian professional ice hockey player
  • James Crerar Reaney OC FRSC (1926-2008), Canadian poet, playwright, librettist, and professor, three-time Governor General's Award recipient
  • Paul Reaney (b. 1944), English former footballer who played from 1962 to 1981, member of the England National Team (1968-1971)


  1. Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
  2. The Norman People and Their Existing Descendants in the British Dominions and the United States Of America. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing, 1975. Print. (ISBN 0-8063-0636-X)
  3. Cleveland, Dutchess of The Battle Abbey Roll with some Account of the Norman Lineages. London: John Murray, Abermarle Street, 1889. Print. Volume 3 of 3
  4. Black, George F., The Surnames of Scotland Their Origin, Meaning and History. New York: New York Public Library, 1946. Print. (ISBN 0-87104-172-3)
  5. 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)
  6. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, November 17) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html


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