Ranken History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
The root of the ancient Dalriadan-Scottish name Ranken is the personal name Randolph, with the addition of the diminutive suffix -kin.
Early Origins of the Ranken family
The surname Ranken was first found in Ayrshire (Gaelic: Siorrachd Inbhir Àir), formerly a county in the southwestern Strathclyde region of Scotland, that today makes up the Council Areas of South, East, and North Ayrshire.
"There is a tradition of descent from one John, son of a knight called Jacob de Rankine, burgomaster of Ghent, who married a daughter of the head of the house of Keith, and became progenitor of the Rankines. " 1 This tradition is difficult to prove but was nevertheless authored by M. H. Rankin, Esq.
Early History of the Ranken family
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Ranken research. Another 131 words (9 lines of text) covering the years 1400, 1587, 1600, 1629, 1672, 1719 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Ranken History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Ranken Spelling Variations
The translation of Gaelic names in the Middle Ages was not a task undertaken with great care. Records from that era show an enormous number of spelling variations, even in names referring to the same person. Over the years Ranken has appeared as Rankin, Ranken, Ranking, Rankene, Rankine and others.
Early Notables of the Ranken family
Notable amongst the Clan from early times was Lieutenant John Rankin (ca 1600s), British Royal Navy, eponym of Rankin Inlet, Canada.
Alexander Ramkins (c.1672-1719) was a Scottish adherent of James II, born...
Another 31 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Ranken Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Migration of the Ranken family to Ireland
Some of the Ranken family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 105 words (8 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Ranken migration to the United States +
Many settled along the east coast of what would become the United States and Canada. As the American War of Independence broke out, those who remained loyal to the crown went north to Canada as United Empire Loyalists. The ancestors of all of these hardy Dalriadan-Scottish settlers began to recover their collective history in the 20th century with the advent of the vibrant culture fostered by highland games and Clan societies in North America. Highland games, clan societies, and other organizations generated much renewed interest in Scottish heritage in the 20th century. The Ranken were among the earliest of the Scottish settlers as immigration passenger lists have shown:
Ranken Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
- William Ranken, who arrived in Maryland in 1670 2
Ranken Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
- John Ranken, who arrived in South Carolina in 1716 2
Ranken Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
- Louise Ranken, who landed in Texas in 1846 2
Ranken 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:
Ranken Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century
- Mr. Deidrick Ranken, British settler travelling from Liverpool aboard the ship 'Mermaid' arriving in Auckland, New Zealand on 19th October 1859 3
Contemporary Notables of the name Ranken (post 1700) +
- Alexander Ranken (1755-1827), Scottish author, born in Edinburgh
- George Ranken (1828-1856), English major, Royal Engineers, born in London
- Sir George Ranken Askwith (1861-1942), 1st Baron Askwith, English nobleman
The Ranken 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: Fortiter et recte
Motto Translation: Boldly and rightly.
Citations +
- Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
- 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)
- New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html