Rankins History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
The age-old Hebrides islands and the west coast of Scotland are the ancestral home of the Rankins family. Their name comes from the personal name Randolph, with the addition of the diminutive suffix -kin.
Early Origins of the Rankins family
The surname Rankins 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 Rankins family
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Rankins 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 Rankins History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Rankins Spelling Variations
Medieval spelling was at best an intuitive process, and translation between Gaelic and English was no more effective. These factors caused an enormous number of spelling variations in Dalriadan names. In fact, it was not uncommon to see a father and son who spelled their name differently. Over the years, Rankins has been spelled Rankin, Ranken, Ranking, Rankene, Rankine and others.
Early Notables of the Rankins family
Notable amongst the Clan from early times was
- William Rankins (fl. 1587), was an English author who published in 1587 a venomous attack on the theatre
Rankins Ranking
In the United States, the name Rankins is the 5,480th most popular surname with an estimated 4,974 people with that name. 2
Migration of the Rankins family to Ireland
Some of the Rankins 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.
Rankins migration to the United States +
Scottish settlers arrived in many of the communities that became the backbones of the United States and Canada. Many stayed, but some headed west for the endless open country of the prairies. In the American War of Independence, many Scots who remained loyal to England re-settled in Canada as United Empire Loyalists. Scots across North America were able to recover much of their lost heritage in the 20th century as Clan societies and highland games sprang up across North America. Early immigration and passenger lists have documented some of the first Rankinss to arrive on North American shores:
Rankins Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
- Tho Rankins, who landed in Virginia in 1646 3
Rankins Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
- William Rankins, who arrived in New England in 1719 3
Rankins Settlers in United States in the 20th Century
- Mella B. Rankins, aged 19, who immigrated to the United States, in 1905
- Jeannie Rankins, aged 20, who landed in America from Pollakshaws, in 1906
- Basil Alexander Rankins, aged 19, who landed in America from Ilford, London, England, in 1915
- John Rankins, aged 29, who settled in America, in 1922
- John Rankins, aged 49, who landed in America, in 1923
- ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Rankins migration to Australia +
Emigration to
Australia followed the
First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:
Rankins Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
- C.P. Rankins, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Indus" in 1839 4
The Rankins 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.
- "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)
- State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) INDUS 1839. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1839Indus.htm