Rankan History, Family Crest & Coats of ArmsOn the western coast of Scotland and on the Hebrides islands the Rankan family was born among the ancient Dalriadan clans. Their name comes from the personal name Randolph, with the addition of the diminutive suffix -kin. Early Origins of the Rankan familyThe surname Rankan was first found in Ayrshire (Gaelic: Siorrachd Inbhir Àir), formerly a county in the southwestern Strathclyde region of Scotland, that today makes up the Council Areas of South, East, and North Ayrshire. "There is a tradition of descent from one John, son of a knight called Jacob de Rankine, burgomaster of Ghent, who married a daughter of the head of the house of Keith, and became progenitor of the Rankines. " 1 This tradition is difficult to prove but was nevertheless authored by M. H. Rankin, Esq. Early History of the Rankan familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Rankan research. Another 131 words (9 lines of text) covering the years 1400, 1587, 1600, 1629, 1672, 1719 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Rankan History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Rankan Spelling VariationsIn various documents Rankan has been spelled Since medieval scribes still spelled according to sound, records from that era contain an enormous number of spelling variations. Rankin, Ranken, Ranking, Rankene, Rankine and others. Early Notables of the Rankan familyNotable amongst the Clan from early times was Lieutenant John Rankin (ca 1600s), British Royal Navy, eponym of Rankin Inlet, Canada.
Alexander Ramkins (c.1672-1719) was a Scottish adherent of James II, born... Migration of the Rankan family to IrelandSome of the Rankan family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Dalriadan families proliferated in North America. Their descendants still populate many communities in the eastern parts of both the United States and Canada. Some settled in Canada as United Empire Loyalists, in the wake of the American War of Independence. Families on both sides of the border have recovered much of their heritage in the 20th century through Clan societies and highland games. Analysis of immigration records indicates that some of the first North American immigrants bore the name Rankan or a variant listed above: Rankan Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto. Motto: Fortiter et recte Motto Translation: Boldly and rightly.
|