| ![Show Contents]() Rollings History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
The name Rollings arrived in England after the Norman Conquest of 1066. The name Rollings comes from the Norman given name Radulphus. 1 This name, which also occurs as Ralf, Rolf, and Raoul, is adapted from the Old French given name Raol. Alternatively, the name could have been a baptismal name as in "the son of Rowland" which is pronounced Rawland and Rolland in Furness and Cumberland, "where a large family of Rawlinsons has sprung up, undoubtedly descendants of Rowland through Rawlandson." 2 Early Origins of the Rollings familyThe surname Rollings was first found in Oxfordshire where William Raulyn was listed at Evynsham in 1290. A few years later, John Rawlynes was found in Warwickshire in 1343. Almost two hundred years later, Richard Rawlinson was listed in Yorkshire in 1538. 3 The Rawlin, Rawline and Rawling spellings have been frequent in Scotland since the 16th century. Concentrated in Dumfriesshire, one of the first records was David Rawlynge who held a "botha seu opella" in Dumfries, 1588. Marcus Raulling was listed in Glencapill in 1630, Catherine Railing in Dumfries, 1642, and Thomas Rawling of Dumfries, 1696. 4 Some of the family were far to the south in Lansalloes, Cornwall where "the family of Rawlings" held titles. 5 Early History of the Rollings familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Rollings research. Another 121 words (9 lines of text) covering the years 1508, 1521, 1523, 1536, 1576, 1610, 1620, 1631, 1647, 1670, 1679, 1690, 1705, 1706, 1708, 1755 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Rollings History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Rollings Spelling VariationsMultitudes of spelling variations are a hallmark of Anglo Norman names. Most of these names evolved in the 11th and 12th century, in the time after the Normans introduced their own Norman French language into a country where Old and Middle English had no spelling rules and the languages of the court were French and Latin. To make matters worse, medieval scribes spelled words according to sound, so names frequently appeared differently in the various documents in which they were recorded. The name was spelled Rawlings, Rawlins, Rawlington, Rawlinson and others. Early Notables of the Rollings familyOutstanding amongst the family at this time was Richard Rawlins (died 1536), English cleric, Bishop of St David's (1523-1536) and Warden of Merton College, Oxford (1508-1521); Thomas Rawlins (c.1620-1670), an English medallist and playwright; John Rawlinson (1576-1631), an English churchman and academic who was principal of St Edmund Hall, Oxford from 1610; Sir Thomas Rawlinson (1647-1708), Lord Mayor of the City of...
Another 61 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Rollings Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Rollings RankingIn the United States, the name Rollings is the 13,660th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 6  Migration of the Rollings family to Ireland
Some of the Rollings family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 61 words (4 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
| Rollings migration to the United States | + |
Because of this political and religious unrest within English society, many people decided to immigrate to the colonies. Families left for Ireland, North America, and Australia in enormous numbers, traveling at high cost in extremely inhospitable conditions. The New World in particular was a desirable destination, but the long voyage caused many to arrive sick and starving. Those who made it, though, were welcomed by opportunities far greater than they had known at home in England. Many of these families went on to make important contributions to the emerging nations of Canada and the United States. Analysis of immigration records indicates that some of the first North American immigrants bore the name Rollings or a variant listed above:
Rollings Settlers in United States in the 18th Century- John Rollings, who landed in Virginia in 1711 7
Rollings Settlers in United States in the 19th Century- Joseph S Rollings, who arrived in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1862 7
| Rollings migration to Australia | + |
Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include: Rollings Settlers in Australia in the 18th Century- Mr. John Rollings, Cornish settler convicted in Cornwall, UK on 19th March 1785, sentenced for 7 years for stealing a Bay Mare, transported aboard the ship "Neptune" on 19th January 1790 to New South Wales, Australia 8
Rollings Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century- Mr. Charles Rollings, English convict who was convicted in Plymouth, Devon, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Equestrian" on 30th June 1845, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Island) 9
| Contemporary Notables of the name Rollings (post 1700) | + |
- Major General Wayne E. Rollings USMC, American Commanding General of II Marine Expeditionary Force, III Marine Expeditionary Force, recipient of the Navy Cross
- Willard Hughes Rollings (1948-2008), American scholar of Native American history
- William Russell "Red" Rollings (1904-1964), American Major League Baseball reserve infielder/outfielder who played 1927 through 1930
- Matt Rollings, American composer, musician and record producer
- Gordon Charles Rollings (1926-1985), British television and stage actor from Batley, in the West Riding of Yorkshire
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: Cognosce teipsum et disce pati
Motto Translation: Know thyself, and learn to suffer.
- Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
- Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
- Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
- 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)
- Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
- "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)
- Cornwall Online Parish Clerks. (Retrieved 30th May 2018). Retrieved from http://www.opc-cornwall.org/Resc/pdfs/emigration_australia_convicts.pdf
- Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 9th May 2022). https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/equestrian
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Rollings migration to the United States 
Rollings migration to Australia 
England
Ireland
Scotland
