Raban History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

Early Origins of the Raban family

The surname Raban was first found in Dorset. A variety of spelling were first used upon their arrival to England including Raband, Rabayne and Roboin. "The family of De Rabayne came from Saintonge, Acquitaine, where it possessed the marquisate of Piscay. The castle of Rabaine still remains. The family was of eminence in 1018 (Des Bois)." 1

"The first who was of much note in England was Elias de Rabayne, a good soldier in the Gascon war of 1251, and high in favour with Henry III. In 1255 the King committed to him "the corpus of the Castle of Corfe during pleasure, saving to the King the warren, forest, and all other things pertaining to the Castle, outside the walls thereof." Considerable privileges were attached to this office, which the new Constable enforced and extended with such vigour that his aggrieved neighbours were driven to seek redress in the law courts. " 2

"Peter de Rabayne held Litde Pidele at his death in 1272; and 'Petrus de Roboin' is incontestably entered in the Testa de Nevill as holding Waybayouse of the King. 3 He was also possessed of Edmondesham, where he granted an annuity to John Beauboys (Bello Bosco) and his heirs. In 1316, Matilda de Rabayne was Lady of Edmondesham; but of her or her marriage we hear nothing more." 2

Later, Gloucestershire would be another home to the family as here Raban the Englishman, gave land to the church of St. Peter in Gloucester in 1150.

Early History of the Raban family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Raban research. Another 59 words (4 lines of text) covering the years 1273, 1622 and 1658 are included under the topic Early Raban History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Raban Spelling Variations

Endless spelling variations are a prevailing characteristic of Norman surnames. Old and Middle English lacked any definite spelling rules, and the introduction of Norman French added an unfamiliar ingredient to the English linguistic stew. French and Latin, the languages of the court, also influenced spellings. Finally, Medieval scribes generally spelled words according to how they sounded, so one person was often referred to by different spellings in different documents. The name has been spelled Raban, Raben, de Raban, de Raben, Rabyn and others.

Early Notables of the Raban family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was

Edward Raban (died 1658), English-born, printer in Aberdeen who was said to have been a native of Worcestershire...
While there is no direct evidence of his birth place, in his 'Rabans Resolution against Drunkennesse,' printed in 1622, he speaks of his 'father's brother, Peter Raban, a parson at Meltonmowbre in Woo...

Raban migration to the United States +

To escape the political and religious persecution within England at the time, many English families left for the various British colonies abroad. The voyage was extremely difficult, though, and the cramped, dank ships caused many to arrive in the New World diseased and starving. But for those who made it, the trip was most often worth it. Many of the families who arrived went on to make valuable contributions to the emerging nations of Canada and the United States. An inquiry into the early roots of North American families reveals a number of immigrants bearing the name Raban or a variant listed above:

Raban Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Geo Raban, who landed in Virginia in 1717 4

Contemporary Notables of the name Raban (post 1700) +

Jonathan Mark Hamilton Priaulx Raban (1942-2023), English award-winning British travel writer, critic, and novelist from Hempton, Norfolk
Brigadier-General Sir Edward Raban KCB, KBE (1850-1927), British Army officer in the Royal Engineers
Alexander Raban Waugh (1898-1981), English novelist

Citations +

The Norman People and Their Existing Descendants in the British Dominions and the United States Of America. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing, 1975. Print. (ISBN 0-8063-0636-X)
Cleveland, Dutchess of The Battle Abbey Roll with some Account of the Norman Lineages. London: John Murray, Abermarle Street, 1889. Print. Volume 3 of 3
Testa de Nevill or "Liber Feodorum" or "Book of Fees," thought to have been written by Ralph de Nevill, for King John (1199–1216)
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)