Raffter History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Ireland

Etymology of Raffter

What does the name Raffter mean?

The original Gaelic form of Raffter 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 Raffter family

The surname Raffter 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 Raffter family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Raffter research. Another 63 words (4 lines of text) covering the year 1090 is included under the topic Early Raffter History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Raffter Spelling Variations

Scribes and church officials, lacking today's standardized spelling rules, recorded names by how they were pronounced. This imprecise guide often led to the misleading result of one person's name being recorded under several different spellings. Numerous spelling variations of the surname Raffter are preserved in documents of the family history. The various spellings of the name that were found include Rafferty, O'Rafferty, Raferty, Raffhery, Raffthery, Raftery, Raverty, Roarty and many more.

Early Notables of the Raffter family

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

Raffter migration to the United States +

A massive wave of Irish immigrants hit North America during the 19th century. Although many early Irish immigrants made a carefully planned decision to leave left Ireland for the promise of free land, by the 1840s immigrants were fleeing a famine stricken land in desperation. The condition of Ireland during the Great Potato Famine of the late 1840s can be attributed to a rapidly expanding population and English imperial policies. Those Irish families that arrived in North America were essential to its rapid social, industrial, and economic development. Passenger and immigration lists have revealed a number of early Irish immigrants bearing the name Raffter:

Raffter Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Mary Raffter, who landed in Virginia in 1702 1

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)