Show ContentsRance History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The generations and branches of the Rance family share a name that has its roots in the ancient Anglo-Saxon culture of Britain. The name Rance comes from Randolph of which it is a short form. The surname Rance referred to the son of Randolph which belongs to the category of patronymic surnames.

Early Origins of the Rance family

The surname Rance was first found in Norfolk at Yelverton, a parish, in the union of Loddon and Clavering, hundred of Henstead. "The church [of Yelverton] is an ancient structure in the decorated and early English styles, with a square embattled tower, and contains several handsome monuments to the families of Rant, Playter and Day; and a Norman font. The sum of £27 per annum, arising from land purchased with a bequest by Mrs. Anne Rant in 1698, is divided between the rector and the poor, the latter of whom have also 4 acres that were allotted at the inclosure." [1]

Early History of the Rance family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Rance research. Another 92 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1578, 1604, 1606, 1650, 1660 and 1671 are included under the topic Early Rance History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Rance Spelling Variations

Until quite recently, the English language has lacked a definite system of spelling rules. Consequently, Anglo-Saxon surnames are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. Changes in Anglo-Saxon names were influenced by the evolution of the English language, as it incorporated elements of French, Latin, and other languages. Although Medieval scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded, so it is common to find one person referred to by several different spellings of his surname, even the most literate people varied the spelling of their own names. Variations of the name Rance include Rand, Rande, Rynd, Rynde, Raynd, Raynde and others.

Early Notables of the Rance family

Another 44 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Rance Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


United States Rance migration to the United States +

Searching for a better life, many English families migrated to British colonies. Unfortunately, the majority of them traveled under extremely harsh conditions: overcrowding on the ships caused the majority of the immigrants to arrive diseased, famished, and destitute from the long journey across the ocean. For those families that arrived safely, modest prosperity was attainable, and many went on to make invaluable contributions to the development of the cultures of the new colonies. Research into the origins of individual families in North America revealed records of the immigration of a number of people bearing the name Rance or a variant listed above:

Rance Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • Henry Rance, who landed in Virginia in 1701 [2]

Canada Rance migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Rance Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century
  • Mary Rance, who arrived in Nova Scotia in 1749-1752

Australia Rance migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Rance Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Contemporary Notables of the name Rance (post 1700) +

  • Dean James Robert Rance (b. 1991), English footballer
  • Charlie Rance (1889-1966), English professional footballer who played from 1910? to 1923?
  • Alex Rance (b. 1989), Australian rules footballer who plays for the Richmond Football Club
  • Murray Rance (b. 1962), former Australian rules footballer who played from 1986 to 1990
  • Major General Sir Hubert Elvin Rance GCMG GBE CB (1898-1974), British diplomat, the last British Governor of Burma (Myanmar) between 1946 and 1948
  • Rance Allen (1948-2020), American Bishop, Minister, and gospel musician, and the founder and leader of the Rance Allen Group
  • Rance Howard (1928-2017), born Harold Rance Beckenholdt, an American actor, known for his roles in Cool Hand Luke (1967), Chinatown (1974), Splash (1984), Ed Wood (1994), Apollo 13 (1995), father of actor Clint Howard and Ron Howard
  • Rance Pless (1925-2017), American Major League Baseball player

HMS Hood
  • Mr. John Rance (b. 1892), English Leading Stoker serving for the Royal Navy from Barkham, Berkshire, England, who sailed into battle and died in the HMS Hood sinking [4]


  1. Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
  2. 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)
  3. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 2nd December 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/camden
  4. H.M.S. Hood Association-Battle Cruiser Hood: Crew Information - H.M.S. Hood Rolls of Honour, Men Lost in the Sinking of H.M.S. Hood, 24th May 1941. (Retrieved 2016, July 15) . Retrieved from http://www.hmshood.com/crew/memorial/roh_24may41.htm


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