| ![Show Contents]() Raferty History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
- Origins Available:
Ireland
Etymology of RafertyWhat does the name Raferty mean? The original Gaelic form of Raferty was Ó Raithbheartaigh, which was modified to Ó Raifeartaigh. The surname is derived from the words rath bheartach meaning prosperity wielder. Early Origins of the Raferty familyThe surname Raferty was first found in County Donegal (Irish: Dún na nGall), northwest Ireland in the province of Ulster, sometimes referred to as County Tyrconnel. Early History of the Raferty familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Raferty research. Another 63 words (4 lines of text) covering the year 1090 is included under the topic Early Raferty History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Raferty Spelling VariationsNumerous spelling variations of the surname Raferty exist. A partial explanation for these variants is that ancient scribes and church officials recorded names as they were pronounced, often resulting in a single person being recorded under several different spellings. Different spellings that were found include Rafferty, O'Rafferty, Raferty, Raffhery, Raffthery, Raftery, Raverty, Roarty and many more. Early Notables of the Raferty familyMore information is included under the topic Early Raferty Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
| Raferty migration to the United States | + |
Irish families began to immigrate to British North America and the United States in the 18th century, but the greatest influx of Irish immigrants came during the Great Potato Famine of the late 1840s. The earlier settlers came to North America after a great deal of consideration and by paying relatively high fees for their passage. These settlers were primarily drawn by the promise of land. Those later settlers that came during the 1840's were trying to escape the conditions of poverty, starvation, disease, and death that had stricken Ireland. Due to the enormity of their numbers and the late date of their arrival, these immigrants primarily became hired laborers instead of homesteading settlers like their predecessors. An exhaustive search of immigration and passenger lists has revealed many Irish immigrants North America bearing the name Raferty:
Raferty Settlers in United States in the 19th Century- William Raferty, who arrived in America in 1805 1
- Michael and Mary Raferty who settled in Passmaquodie Maine in 1823
| Raferty migration to Canada | + |
Raferty Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century- Mary Raferty, aged 23, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick in 1833 aboard the ship "John & Mary" from Belfast, Ireland
- Elizabeth Raferty, aged 21, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick in 1833 aboard the ship "John & Mary" from Belfast, Ireland
| Raferty migration to New Zealand | + |
Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include: Raferty Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century- William Raferty, aged 23, a farm labourer, who arrived in Bluff, New Zealand aboard the ship "Oamaru" in 1878
- 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)
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