Rabet History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

The name Rabet was brought to England in the great wave of migration following the Norman Conquest of 1066. It comes from the given name Robert, which is adapted from the Norman personal name Radbode. This latter name is composed of the Germanic elements rad, meaning counsel or advice, and bodo, meaning message or tidings.

Early Origins of the Rabet family

The surname Rabet was first found in Suffolk where "this ancient family who have resided at Bramfield for several centuries, claim a Norman descent." 1 Following the Norman descent deeper, we found "Hugh Rabace in Normandy 1180-95 and Gerard Rabes there in 1198." 2 However, the family was clearly in England about the same time: "Robert Rabaz gave Kenilworth or Chillingworth Church, Northamptonshire to De la Pré Abbey, which gift was confirmed by Henry II. [his reign: 5 March 1133-6 July 1189]" 2 St. Andrew's Church, Bramfield is a 13th century church which has ledger slabs of members of the Rabett and Nelson families.

Early History of the Rabet family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Rabet research. Another 87 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1298, 1313, 1316 and 1467 are included under the topic Early Rabet History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Rabet Spelling Variations

A multitude of spelling variations characterize Norman surnames. Many variations occurred because Old and Middle English lacked any definite spelling rules. The introduction of Norman French to England also had a pronounced effect, as did the court languages of Latin and French. Therefore, one person was often referred to by several different spellings in a single lifetime. The various spellings include Rabbit, Rabett, Rabit, Rabbitt and others.

Early Notables of the Rabet family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was

Stephen de Rabett was Member of Parliament for Northamptonshire in 1298
Robert Rabett was Member of Parliament for Rutland (1313-1316), Lord of Preston, Ridlington and Ayston. 2 William Rabett was Member of Parliament for Dunwich, Suffolk in 1467

Rabet migration to the United States +

Many English families left England, to avoid the chaos of their homeland and migrated to the many British colonies abroad. Although the conditions on the ships were extremely cramped, and some travelers arrived diseased, starving, and destitute, once in the colonies, many of the families prospered and made valuable contributions to the cultures of what would become the United States and Canada. Research into the origins of individual families in North America has revealed records of the immigration of a number of people bearing the name Rabet or a variant listed above:

Rabet Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Patrick Rabet, aged 50, who arrived in New York in 1848 3

Citations +

Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
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)
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)