Contents [hide]

Randolph History Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables Ranking

Contemporary Notables Related Stories Suggested Reading Citations

Randolph History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Scotland
Ireland

Early Origins of the Randolph family

The surname Randolph was first found in Yorkshire where one of the first records of the name was found at Middleham. "About the year 1190, a splendid castle was built here by Robert Fitz-Ranulph, in which, according to Stowe, Falconbridge, a partisan of Henry VI., was beheaded in 1471; though Speed says he was executed at Southampton. " 1

Randulf (died 1129), also named Le Meschin, Earl of Chester was the son and heir of Randulf, called 'de Brichessart' (from Briquessart, his family seat), hereditary vicomte of the Bessin in Normandy. However, his position and name was historically in dispute. "According to Dugdale, he came over with the Conqueror, and received the city of Carlisle, of which he became earl. Freeman asserted that he became earl of Cumberland; but, as Mr. Eyton rightly points out, Randulf was never 'earl,' but merely 'lord' of the district." 2

His son, Randulf, called De Gernons, Earl of Chester (d. 1153) succeeded his lands shortly before 1130. The Pipe Rolls of 1130 list he was indebted to the crown for large sums, including £1,000. which his father had died owing for the fief of his kinsman the Earl of Chester. 2

Richard FitzRalph, "in Latin Ricardus films Radulphi, often referred to simply as 'Armachanus' or 'Ardmachanus' (d. 1360), was Archbishop of Armagh and born probably in the last years of the thirteenth century at Dundalk in the county of Louth. " 2

Early History of the Randolph family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Randolph research. Another 63 words (4 lines of text) covering the years 1172, 1200, 1523, 1558, 1566, 1590, 1605, 1632, 1635, 1650, 1681, 1683, 1684, 1691, 1698, 1703, 1711, 1727, 1729, 1741, 1742 and 1749 are included under the topic Early Randolph History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Randolph Spelling Variations

Anglo-Norman names tend to be marked by an enormous number of spelling variations. This is largely due to the fact that Old and Middle English lacked any spelling rules when Norman French was introduced in the 11th century. The languages of the English courts at that time were French and Latin. These various languages mixed quite freely in the evolving social milieu. The final element of this mix is that medieval scribes spelled words according to their sounds rather than any definite rules, so a name was often spelled in as many different ways as the number of documents it appeared in. The name was spelled FitzRandolph, FitzRandolf, FetzRandolff, FitzRandulf, Randolph, FitzRaulf and many more.

Early Notables of the Randolph family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was

Edward Randolph (died 1566), English soldier, probably a brother of Thomas Randolph (1523-1590), born at Badlesmere in Kent. "He made himself sufficiently prominent in Edward VI's time to find it nece...
Thomas Randolph (1523-1590) was an English ambassador, son of Avery Randolph of Badlesmere, Kent. In 1558, Randolph was acting as an agent of the English government in Germany
Thomas Randolph (1605-1635) was an English poet and dramatist, second son of William Randolph of Hamsey, near Lewes, Sussex
Edward Randolph (1632-1703), was an English colonial administrator who suggested Charles II revoke the charter of the Massachusetts Bay Colony in 1684 and was accordingly a leading figure in the unpop...
William Randolph (1650-1711), was an English colonist to America from Moreton Morrell, Warwickshire, 26th Speaker of the Virginia House of Burgesses in 1698
Thomas Randolph (1683-1729),also known as Thomas Randolph of Tuckahoe, was the builder of Tuckahoe, a member of the Virginia House of Burgesses, and the second child of William Randolph
Isham Randolph (1684-1742), sometimes referred to as Isham Randolph of Dungeness, was the maternal grandfather of United States President Thomas Jefferson
Richard Randolph (c.1691-1749), sometimes referred to as Richard Randolph "of Curles," was a successful planter-merchant on the James River and a member of the Virginia House of Burgesses from 1727 un...

Randolph Ranking

In the United States, the name Randolph is the 669^th most popular surname with an estimated 44,766 people with that name. 3

Migration of the Randolph family to Ireland

Some of the Randolph family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 62 words (4 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Randolph migration to the United States +

Because of the political and religious discontent in England, families began to migrate abroad in enormous numbers. Faced with persecution and starvation at home, the open frontiers and generally less oppressive social environment of the New World seemed tantalizing indeed to many English people. The trip was difficult, and not all made it unscathed, but many of those who did get to Canada and the United States made important contributions to the young nations in which they settled. Some of the first North American settlers with Randolph name or one of its variants:

Randolph Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Milward Randolph, who arrived in Virginia in 1621
Edward Randolph, who arrived in Barnstable, Massachusetts in 1630
Henry Randolph, who settled in Virginia in 1642
William Randolph, who arrived in Jamestown, VA in 1672
Henry Randolph, who landed in Virginia in 1673 4
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Randolph Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Merryman Randolph, who landed in Virginia in 1711 4
Richard Randolph, who landed in Virginia in 1711 4
William Randolph, who landed in Virginia in 1711 4
Timothy Randolph, who arrived in Georgia in 1737 4

Randolph Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Lewis Randolph, aged 28, who arrived in New York in 1812 4
John and Michael Randolph, who settled in New York in 1822
John Randolph, who settled in New York in 1822 along with Michael
Thomas Randolph, who landed in America in 1828 4
Robert Randolph, who arrived in Texas in 1835 4
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Randolph migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Randolph Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century

Mr. David Randolph U.E. who settled in Parr Town [Saint John], New Brunswick c. 1784 5

Contemporary Notables of the name Randolph (post 1700) +

Joyce Randolph (1924-2024), American actress, best known for playing Trixie Norton on the television sitcom The Honeymooners
Edward Gordon "Ned" Randolph (1942-2016), American Democratic Party politician, Mayor of Alexandria, Louisiana (1986-2006), Louisiana State Senator (1976-1984)
Lillian Randolph (1898-1980), American actress, known for It's a Wonderful Life (1946), Magic (1978) and The Bachelor and the Bobby-Soxer (1947)
Barbara Randolph (1942-2002), American actress, known for Guess Who's Coming to Dinner (1967), Bright Road (1953) and Cactus Flower (1969)
Katherine Randolph (b. 1983), American actress and director, known for Jarhead (2005), American Joyride (2011) and Adulthood (2015)
Beverly Randolph (b. 1964), American actress and producer, known for The Return of the Living Dead (1985), Return of the Living Dead: The Dead Have Risen (2007) and More Brains! A Return to the Living Dead (2011)
John Randolph (1915-2004), American Tony award winning actor, known for his roles in Serpico (1973), Christmas Vacation (1989) and You've Got Mail (1998)
Arthur Raymond Randolph (b. 1943), American jurist, Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit (1990-2008)
Edmund Jennings Randolph (1753-1813), American attorney and politician, 2nd United States Secretary of State (1794-1795), 1st United States Attorney General (1789-1794), 7th Governor of Virginia (1786-1788)
Jane Randolph (1915-2009), American film actress, known for her roles in Cat People (1942), The Curse of the Cat People (1944) and Bud Abbott Lou Costello Meet Frankenstein (1948)
... (Another 82 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Citations +

Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. 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)
Rubincam, Milton. The Old United Empire Loyalists List. Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc, 1976. (Originally published as; United Empire Loyalists. The Centennial of the Settlement of Upper Canada. Rose Publishing Company, 1885.) ISBN 0-8063-0331-X