Raeke History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Wales

The origins of the Welsh name Raeke go back to the ancient Celtic culture that existed in the hills and Moors of Wales. The forbears that initially held the name Raeke once lived near a pass or narrow valley. The surname Raeke is derived from the Old English word hraca, which means throat. The surname Raeke belongs to the class of topographic surnames, which were given to people who resided near physical features such as hills, streams, churches, or types of trees. However, the surname Raeke may be derived from residence at The Rake in Sussex, at Raikes Farm in Surrey, or at Raikes in the West Riding of Yorkshire. In this case, the surname Raeke belongs to the category of habitation names, which are derived from pre-existing names for towns, villages, parishes, or farmsteads.

Early Origins of the Raeke family

The surname Raeke was first found in Lincolnshire, where they held a family seat from early times and their first records appeared on the early census rolls taken by the early Kings of Britain to determine the rate of taxation of their subjects.

Early History of the Raeke family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Raeke research. Another 94 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1690 and 1757 are included under the topic Early Raeke History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Raeke Spelling Variations

The Welsh have an extremely large amount of spelling variations of their native surnames to their credit. The earliest explanation for the preponderance of spelling variations is that when Welsh surnames were in Welsh and accordingly were difficult to translate into English. It was therefore up to the priest or the scribe taking the official records to determine how the spoken name was to be made literal. As time progressed, the old Brythonic names of Wales were recorded in English, which was especially problematic since the English language had extreme difficulty recording the highly inflected sounds of Cymraeg. Spelling variations were, however, also carried out according to an individual's design: a branch loyalty within the family, a religious adherence, or even patriotic affiliations could be indicated by spelling variations of one's name. The spelling variations of the name Raeke have included Raikes, Raike, Raik, Rakes, Rake and others.

Early Notables of the Raeke family

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

Migration of the Raeke family

During the latter half of the 19th and the beginning of the 20th century, the people of Wales journeyed to North America to find a new life. They made major contributions to the arts, industry and commerce of both Canada and the United States, and added a rich cultural heritage to their newly adopted societies. A look at the immigration and passenger lists has shown a number of people bearing the name Raeke: Andrew Rakes, who came to Barbados in 1654; Phyllis Rakes and her husband settled in Antigua in 1684; Weston Rakes settled in Virginia in 1752.

The Raeke 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: Honestum praeferre utili
Motto Translation: To prefer the honest to the profitable.