Reyna History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Spain

The vast movement of people that followed the Norman Conquest of England in 1066 brought the Reyna family name to the British Isles. Reyna comes from the short forms of various Germanic personal names containing the element Ragin, meaning counsel. It it thought that the name could also have been derived from Rennes, in Brittany. 1 However, not all of the family joined the Conqueror as seen by the listing of Warenger Raine in Normandy (1180-1195.) 2

Phillipe de Rim or De Remi (c. 1246-1296), was long treated by English authorities as an Anglo-Norman poet, to whom were assigned two romances 'La Manekine' and 'Jehan de Dammartin et Blonde d'Oxford.' "Both show a close knowledge of Scottish and English life and topography in the thirteenth century." 3

Early Origins of the Reyna family

The surname Reyna was first found in Essex where Roger Rayne was granted lands at Rayne as companion in arms of William the Conqueror. 4 5 Other early spellings of the name include De Raines and Raneis. 1

The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 list the following: Alice Reine in Cambridgeshire; John Reyn and Nicholas Reyn in Lincolnshire; Robert de Rennes in Oxfordshire; and Richard de Rennes. 6

The Feet of Fines for Essex in 1203-1204 includes an entry for Alveva de Reines and later the Subsidy Rolls for Yorkshire includes Richard de Rayns in 1297. Later Nicholas de Reynes was found in the Feet of Fines for Yorkshire in 1301. 5

The Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379 lists: Robert Rayne; Johannes Rayne; Richard Rayneson; and William Rayne. 6

Early History of the Reyna family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Reyna research. Another 84 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1150, 1280 and 1530 are included under the topic Early Reyna History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Reyna Spelling Variations

Endless spelling variations are a prevailing characteristic of Norman surnames. Old and Middle English lacked any definite spelling rules, and the introduction of Norman French added an unfamiliar ingredient to the English linguistic stew. French and Latin, the languages of the court, also influenced spellings. Finally, Medieval scribes generally spelled words according to how they sounded, so one person was often referred to by different spellings in different documents. The name has been spelled Raines, Raine, Rayne and others.

Early Notables of the Reyna family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was John Reynes (fl. 1530), an English stationer and bookbinder in London, carried on business at the sign of St...
Another 26 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Reyna Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Reyna Ranking

In the United States, the name Reyna is the 1,054^th most popular surname with an estimated 27,357 people with that name. 7

Reyna migration to the United States +

To escape the political and religious persecution within England at the time, many English families left for the various British colonies abroad. The voyage was extremely difficult, though, and the cramped, dank ships caused many to arrive in the New World diseased and starving. But for those who made it, the trip was most often worth it. Many of the families who arrived went on to make valuable contributions to the emerging nations of Canada and the United States. An inquiry into the early roots of North American families reveals a number of immigrants bearing the name Reyna or a variant listed above:

Reyna Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Catalina De Reyna, who arrived in Peru in 1853 8
Emma Reyna, aged 8, who landed in America, in 1894
C Reyna, aged 38, who immigrated to the United States, in 1897
Elisa M. Reyna, aged 7, who immigrated to the United States, in 1897

Reyna Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

Alberto Reyna, aged 0, who landed in America from Mexico City, in 1904
Alfredo Reyna, aged 29, who immigrated to the United States from Mexico, Mexico, in 1913
Bernard Reyna, aged 32, who landed in America, in 1919
Ceferina Reyna, aged 23, who settled in America, in 1919
Anna Reyna, aged 29, who landed in America from Balboa, Panama, in 1922
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Reyna (post 1700) +

Greg Reyna (b. 1949), American animator and director
Jimmie V. Reyna (b. 1952), American lawyer and former president of the Hispanic National Bar Association
Claudio Reyna (b. 1973), retired American soccer player
Sulema Reyna, American Democratic Party politician, Alternate Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Texas, 1972 9
Elvira Reyna, American Republican politician, Member of Texas State House of Representatives 101st District; Elected 1994; Elected unopposed 1996, 1998; Elected 2000; Elected unopposed 2002, 2004 9
Diana Reyna, American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from New York, 2008 9
Arthur Reyna, American Democratic Party politician, Member of Texas State House of Representatives 125th District; Elected 1996; Elected unopposed 1998; Elected 2000; Defeated, 2002 9
Carola Reyna, Argentine actress and director
Francisco de Reyna, Spanish painter of the Baroque period
Jorge Reyna (b. 1963), retired Cuban male triple jumper
... (Another 6 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

The Reyna 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: Judicium parium aut leges terrae
Motto Translation: The judgement of my peers, or the laws of the land.

Citations +

Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
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)
Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
"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)
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, December 10) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html