Show ContentsRaddle History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Early Origins of the Raddle family

The surname Raddle was first found in Hertfordshire where they held a family seat as Lords of the Manor. After the Battle of Hastings in 1066, William, Duke of Normandy, having prevailed over King Harold, granted most of Britain to his many victorious Barons. It was not uncommon to find a Baron, or a Bishop, with 60 or more Lordships scattered throughout the country. These he gave to his sons, nephews and other junior lines of his family and they became known as under-tenants. They adopted the Norman system of surnames which identified the under-tenant with his holdings so as to distinguish him from the senior stem of the family. After many rebellious wars between his Barons, Duke William, commissioned a census of all England to determine in 1086, settling once and for all, who held which land. He called the census the Domesday Book, 1 indicating that those holders registered would hold the land until the end of time. Hence, conjecturally, the surname is descended from the tenant of the lands of Radwall held by Adam, a Norman noble, who was under tenant of the Bishop of Bayeux and who was recorded in the Domesday Book census of 1086.

Early History of the Raddle family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Raddle research. Another 75 words (5 lines of text) covering the year 1185 is included under the topic Early Raddle History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Raddle Spelling Variations

Norman surnames are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. The frequent changes in surnames are largely due to the fact that the Old and Middle English languages lacked definite spelling rules. The introduction of Norman French to England, as well as the official court languages of Latin and French, also had pronounced influences on the spelling of surnames. Since medieval scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded, rather than adhering to any specific spelling rules, it was common to find the same individual referred to with different spellings. The name has been spelled Radwell, Raddell, Raddle, Reddall, Reddall, Radwele and many more.

Early Notables of the Raddle family

More information is included under the topic Early Raddle Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Raddle family

Many English families emigrated to North American colonies in order to escape the political chaos in Britain at this time. Unfortunately, many English families made the trip to the New World under extremely harsh conditions. Overcrowding on the ships caused the majority of the immigrants to arrive diseased, famished, and destitute from the long journey across the stormy Atlantic. Despite these hardships, many of the families prospered and went on to make invaluable contributions to the development of the cultures of the United States and Canada. Early North American immigration records have revealed a number of people bearing the name Raddle or a variant listed above: Johanna Radwell, who settled in America in 1720; Thomas Radwell, who arrived in America in 1731; William Radwell, who settled in Jamaica in 1735; Robert Radwell, who settled in America in 1747.



  1. Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)


Houseofnames.com on Facebook