Rabay History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

The history of the Rabay family name begins after the Norman Conquest of 1066. They lived in Durham, in the parish of Raby, from whence their name is derived.

Early Origins of the Rabay family

The surname Rabay was first found in Durham at Raby, a village that dates back to the Domesday Book where it was listed as Rabie. The place name literally means "farmstead or village at a boundary." 1 At that time, it was in Cheshire, part of the Willaston Hundred and was rather small, having land enough for one plough. 2 Today, Raby Castle stands on a 200 acre deer park near Staindrop, Durham and was originally built by John Neville, 3rd Baron Neville de Raby in the late 1300s. Since then it has been resold a few times and is today open to the public boasting one to the finest collection of artwork by old masters.

Early History of the Rabay family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Rabay research. Another 101 words (7 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Rabay History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Rabay Spelling Variations

Anglo-Norman names are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. When the Normans became the ruling people of England in the 11th century, they introduced a new language into a society where the main languages of Old and later Middle English had no definite spelling rules. These languages were more often spoken than written, so they blended freely with one another. Contributing to this mixing of tongues was the fact that medieval scribes spelled words according to sound, ensuring that a person's name would appear differently in nearly every document in which it was recorded. The name has been spelled Raby, Rabey, Rabay and others.

Early Notables of the Rabay family

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

Rabay migration to the United States +

For many English families, the political and religious disarray that plagued their homeland made the frontiers of the New World an attractive prospect. Thousands migrated, aboard cramped disease-ridden ships. They arrived sick, poor, and hungry, but were welcomed in many cases with far greater opportunity than at home in England. Many of these hardy settlers went on to make important contributions to the emerging nations in which they landed. Among early immigrants bearing the name Rabay or a variant listed above were:

Rabay Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

James and Michael Rabay, who arrived in Boston in 1716

Rabay migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Rabay Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Mr. Enos Rabay, (b. 1835), aged 21, British labourer travelling from London aboard the ship "Isabella Hercus" arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 4th January 1856 3

Citations +

Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html