Randolph History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
The saga of the Randolph family name begins among the people of an ancient Scottish tribe called the Picts. The Randolph name is derived from the personal name, Randolph which contained elements that translated to shield and wolf. Randolph is a patronymic surname, which belongs to the category of hereditary surnames. Many patronymic surnames were formed by adopting the given name of an ancestor of the bearer, while others came from popular religious names, and from the names of secular heroes.
Early Origins of the Randolph family
The surname Randolph was first found in Moray, 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 Randolph family
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Randolph research. Another 118 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1266, 1278, 1296, 1332, 1334, 1346, 1605 and 1635 are included under the topic Early Randolph History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Randolph Spelling Variations
Repeated and inaccurate translation of Scottish names from Gaelic to English and back resulted in a wide variety of spelling variations with single names. Randolph has appeared Randolph, Randolf and others.
Early Notables of the Randolph family
Notable amongst the Clan at this time was
- Thomas Randolph Moray (d. 1332), the 1st Earl of Moray, companion of Robert Bruce and Regent of Scotland, the only son of Thomas Randolph, lord of Stratnith. His father was Sheriff of Roxburgh in 1266...
- In later years, Thomas Randolph (1605-1635), was an English poet and dramatist
Randolph Ranking
In the United States, the name Randolph is the 669th most popular surname with an estimated 44,766 people with that name. 1
Randolph migration to the United States +
Many Scottish families suffered enormous hardships and were compelled to leave their country of birth. They traveled to Ireland and Australia, but mostly to the colonies of North America, where many found the freedom and opportunity they sought. It was not without a fight, though, as many were forced to stand up and defend their freedom in the American War of Independence. The ancestors of these Scots abroad have rediscovered their heritage in the last century through the Clan societies and other organizations that have sprung up across North America. Immigration and passenger ship lists show some important early immigrants bearing the name Randolph:
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 2
- ... (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 2
- Richard Randolph, who landed in Virginia in 1711 2
- William Randolph, who landed in Virginia in 1711 2
- Timothy Randolph, who arrived in Georgia in 1737 2
Randolph Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
- Lewis Randolph, aged 28, who arrived in New York in 1812 2
- 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 2
- Robert Randolph, who arrived in Texas in 1835 2
- ... (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 3
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.)
Suggested Readings for the name Randolph +
- Edward Fitz Randolph Branch Lines, Allied Families, and English and Norman Ancestry by Oris Hugh Fitz Randolph.
- The Randolphs of Virginia by Jonathan Daniels.
Citations +
- "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