Rafe History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland
Scotland

Etymology of Rafe

What does the name Rafe mean?

The surname Rafe may come from the Irish Ó Reabaigh. Reap is pronounced Rape and is sometimes appears spelt in that form.

Early Origins of the Rafe family

The surname Rafe was first found in County Mayo (Irish: Maigh Eo) located on the West coast of the Republic of Ireland in the province of Connacht.

Early History of the Rafe family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Rafe research. More information is included under the topic Early Rafe History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Rafe Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Reap, Rafe, Rape, Reapy and others.

Early Notables of the Rafe family

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

Rafe migration to the United States +

Rafe Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Mary Rafe, who landed in Virginia in 1653 1
Francis Rafe, was sent to Virginia as servant in 1678

Contemporary Notables of the name Rafe (post 1700) +

Rafe Mair (1931-2017), born Kenneth Rafe Mair, Canadian lawyer, political commentator and former radio personality in British Columbia, Member of the British Columbia Legislative Assembly for Kamloops (1975-1981)
Rafe Custance (b. 1994), New Zealand actor, famous for starring in the New Zealand children's drama The New Tomorrow, alongside his sister Lara Custance
Rafe Joseph Spall (b. 1983), English actor on stage and screen
Rafe Stefanini, Italian-born, American old-time banjo player, fiddler and guitarist

Sources +

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)