Origins Available: English,
German
The rich and ancient history of the Rainert family name dates back to the time of the
Anglo-Saxon tribes of Britain. It comes from the baptismal name
Rainer, which was taken from the Old Germanic name
Raginhari which means
counsel and
army. Baptismal names began to appear as surnames relatively late in the growth of the naming tradition. This is a little surprising, given the popularity of biblical figures in the Christian countries of Europe. Nevertheless, surnames derived from baptismal names grew in popularity during the Middle Ages, and have become one of the foremost sources for surnames.
Early Origins of the Rainert family
The surname Rainert was first found in
Devon where they held a
family seat from early times and their first records appeared on the census rolls taken by the ancient Kings of Britain to determine the rate of taxation of their subjects. There is also an entry in the
Domesday Book 1086)) listing a Rogerus
filius Rainardi, Rainart in Norfolk.
Early History of the Rainert family
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Rainert research.
Another 157 words (11 lines of text) covering the years 1589, 1661 and 1649 are included under the topic Early Rainert History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Rainert Spelling Variations
Spelling variations in names were a common occurrence before English spelling was standardized a few
hundred years ago. In the Middle Ages, even the literate spelled their names differently as the English language incorporated elements of French, Latin, and other European languages. Many variations of the name Rainert have been found, including Reynard, Reynardson, Renhard, Renyard, Reinard and many more.
Early Notables of the Rainert family (pre 1700)
Another 19 words (1 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Rainert Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Migration of the Rainert family to the New World and Oceana
Families began migrating abroad in enormous numbers because of the political and religious discontent in
England. Often faced with persecution and starvation in
England, the possibilities of the New World attracted many English people. Although the ocean trips took many lives, those who did get to North America were instrumental in building the necessary groundwork for what would become for new powerful nations. Among the first immigrants of the name Rainert, or a variant listed above to cross the Atlantic and come to North America were : Johnis Rynard, who was on record in New York in 1687; Joan Reynard, who came to America from
Ireland in 1740; Caspar Reynard, who arrived in Nova Scotia in 1751.