The origins of the name Raneard are from the ancient Anglo-Saxon culture of Britain. It is derived from the baptismal name Rainer, which was taken from the Old Germanic name Raginhari which means counsel and army. Baptismal names began to appear as surnames relatively late in the growth of the naming tradition. This is a little surprising, given the popularity of biblical figures in the Christian countries of Europe. Nevertheless, surnames derived from baptismal names grew in popularity during the Middle Ages, and have become one of the foremost sources for surnames.
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Early Origins of the Raneard family
The surname Raneard was first found in Devon where they held a family seat from early times and their first records appeared on the census rolls taken by the ancient Kings of Britain to determine the rate of taxation of their subjects. There is also an entry in the Domesday Book 1086)) listing a Rogerus filius Rainardi, Rainart in Norfolk.
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Early History of the Raneard family
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Raneard research. Another 79 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1589, 1649 and 1661 are included under the topic Early Raneard History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
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Raneard Spelling Variations
Sound was what guided spelling in the essentially pre-literate Middle Ages, so one person's name was often recorded under several variations during a single lifetime. Also, before the advent of the printing press and the first dictionaries, the English language was not standardized. Therefore, spelling variations were common, even among the names of the most literate people. Known variations of the Raneard family name include Reynard, Reynardson, Renhard, Renyard, Reinard and many more.
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Early Notables of the Raneard family
Another 31 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Raneard Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
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Migration of the Raneard family
For political, religious, and economic reasons, thousands of English families boarded ships for Ireland, the Canadas, the America colonies, and many of smaller tropical colonies in the hope of finding better lives abroad. Although the passage on the cramped, dank ships caused many to arrive in the New World diseased and starving, those families that survived the trip often went on to make valuable contributions to those new societies to which they arrived. Early immigrants bearing the Raneard surname or a spelling variation of the name include: Johnis Rynard, who was on record in New York in 1687; Joan Reynard, who came to America from Ireland in 1740; Caspar Reynard, who arrived in Nova Scotia in 1751.
England
