Show ContentsRabe History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The name is derived from an Old-German personal name, which meant "raven."

Early Origins of the Rabe family

The surname Rabe was first found in Austria, where the name was anciently associated with the tribal conflicts of the area. They declared allegiance to many nobles and princes of early history, lending their influence in struggles for power and status within the region. They branched into many houses, and their contributions were sought by many leaders in their search for power. Chronicles first mention Kunz Rabl of Prague in 1385.

Early History of the Rabe family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Rabe research. Another 245 words (18 lines of text) covering the years 1230, 1350, 1545, 1703, 1745, 1831, 1852 and 1910 are included under the topic Early Rabe History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Rabe Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Raabe, Rabe, Rab, Raaber, Raber, Rave (northern Germany), Rabe, Rabl (Bavaria), Rable, Rabb, Raab and many more.

Early Notables of the Rabe family

During this period prominent bearers of the name Rabe were

  • Johann Jakob Rabe (1545-86) was a priest of Strasbourg and a polemical writer in the service of the Counter-Reformation...

Rabe Ranking

In the United States, the name Rabe is the 7,731st most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 1


Rabe migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Rabe Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • Christoff Rabe, who sailed to Philadelphia in 1734
  • Christoph Rabe, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1734 2
  • Caspar Rabe, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1737 2
  • Johan Georg Rabe, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1750 2
  • Adam Rabe, who landed in New York, NY in 1782 2
Rabe Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Heinrich Rabe, aged 44, who landed in Texas in 1844 aboard the ship "Weser" 2
  • Mr. Heinrich Rabe, aged 26, from Germany who arrived in Galveston, Texas aboard the ship "Weser" in 1844
  • Mr. Aug. Rabe, German who arrived in Galveston, Texas in 1845 aboard the ship "Margaretha"
  • Mr. Anton Rabe, aged 21, German who arrived in Galveston, Texas in 1845 aboard the ship "Margaretha"
  • Mr. Jos. Rabe, aged 51, German who arrived in Galveston, Texas in 1845 aboard the ship "Margaretha"
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Rabe migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Rabe Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century
  • Albert Rabe, who arrived in Quebec in 1850

Contemporary Notables of the name Rabe (post 1700) +

  • Lily Rabe (b. 1982), American actress
  • Joshua Wayne Rabe (b. 1978), American former Major League Baseball outfielder
  • Jean Rabe (b. 1957), American fantasy and sci-fi author and editor
  • David William Rabe (b. 1940), American Tony award winning playwright and screenwriter
  • Theodore F. Rabe, American politician, Prohibition Candidate for Ohio State House of Representatives from Jefferson County, 1897 3
  • Rudolph F. Rabe, American Democratic Party politician, Member of New Jersey State House of Assembly from Hudson County, 1874-77; Member of New Jersey State Senate from Hudson County, 1878-80 3
  • Wilhelm F. Rabe (1893-1958), German astronomer, eponym of the Rabe lunar crater
  • Karl Rabe (1895-1968), German automobile designer, Chief Designer at Porsche
  • John Rabe (1882-1950), German businessman who is best known for his efforts to stop the atrocities of the Japanese army at Nanking (Nanjing)
  • Pamela Rabe (b. 1959), Canadian-born, Australian stage, television and film actor
  • ... (Another 2 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)


  1. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  2. 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)
  3. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, November 9) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html


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