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The name Ravenel was brought to England in the wave of migration that followed the Norman Conquest of 1066. The Ravenel family lived in Herefordshire. Their name, however, is a reference to Revenel, Normandy, the family's place of residence prior to the Norman Conquest of England in 1066. 1 The place name in Normandy literally means "hanneton, small rave, yellow flower, clove."2 However, another source claims the name is from Ravenhill in the North Riding of Yorkshire "or some other 'raven-hill.'" 3
"Jordan de Revenell and Thomas his son witnessed a charter of Richard de Luvetot, confirming his father's grants to Worksop Abbey. This was in the reign of Stephen. The name occurs in the Duchy. " 1
Two sources claim the name is a local name as in "the Hill frequented by Ravens." 4 5 And another source comments on this claim "this is easy enough to write, and, of course, it is well-nigh impossible to contradict the statement. At the same time I cannot discover a hill so called, nor any entry with a local prefix. Yet the surname is a familiar one, there being eight in the London Directory alone. The following entries prove the surname is patronymic from the persona name, Ravenchil. There may also be connections to Rauenchil, Yorkshire. " 6
The surname Ravenel was first found in Herefordshire where they held a family seat as Lords of the Manor of Rovenhall.
However, we must look to the ancient county of Kent, "The Garden of England," home of Canterbury Cathedral, the seat of the Archbishop of Canterbury for this first records of the family. For it is there, that the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 listed Mariota Ravenild and Robertus Ravenild. 6
Later in Yorkshire, the Subsidy Rolls of 1297 listed Willelmus filius Rauenilde. In Cheshire, Matilda Rafenild was listed in the Hundredorum Rolls of 1279. The Pipe Rolls of 1230 included an entry for Nicholas de Rauenhill in Herefordshire. 3
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Ravenel research. Another 190 words (14 lines of text) covering the years 1700, 1743, 1787, 1813 and 1904 are included under the topic Early Ravenel History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Spelling variations in names were a common occurrence in the eras before English spelling was standardized a few hundred years ago. In the Middle Ages, even the literate regularly changed the spellings of their names as the English language incorporated elements of French, Latin, and other European languages. Many variations of the name Ravenel have been found, including Ravenel, Ravenell, Ravenhill, Ravenhall, Ravenholl and many more.
More information is included under the topic Early Ravenel Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
In France, the name Ravenel is the 9,537th most popular surname with an estimated 500 - 1,000 people with that name. 7
For many English families, the social climate in England was oppressive and lacked opportunity for change. For such families, the shores of Ireland, Australia, and the New World beckoned. They left their homeland at great expense in ships that were overcrowded and full of disease. Many arrived after the long voyage sick, starving, and without a penny. But even those were greeted with greater opportunity than they could have experienced back home. Numerous English settlers who arrived in the United States and Canada at this time went on to make important contributions to the developing cultures of those countries. Many of those families went on to make significant contributions to the rapidly developing colonies in which they settled. Early North American records indicate many people bearing the name Ravenel were among those contributors: