Rasch History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Germany

Early Origins of the Rasch family

The surname Rasch was first found in Yorkshire where they held a family seat as Lords of the Manor. After the Battle of Hastings in 1066, William, Duke of Normandy, having prevailed over King Harold, granted most of Britain to his many victorious Barons. It was not uncommon to find a Baron, or a Bishop, with 60 or more Lordships scattered throughout the country. These he gave to his sons, nephews and other junior lines of his family and they became known as under-tenants. They adopted the Norman system of surnames which identified the under-tenant with his holdings so as to distinguish him from the senior stem of the family. After many rebellious wars between his Barons, Duke William, commissioned a census of all England to determine in 1086, settling once and for all, who held which land. He called the census the Domesday Book, 1 indicating that those holders registered would hold the land until the end of time. Hence, conjecturally, the surname is descended from the tenant of the village and lands of Raskelf, (formerly Raschel,) held by one the Kings many stewards, who was recorded in the Domesday Book census of 1086.

Early History of the Rasch family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Rasch research. Another 55 words (4 lines of text) covering the year 1333 is included under the topic Early Rasch History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Rasch Spelling Variations

Norman surnames are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. The frequent changes in surnames are largely due to the fact that the Old and Middle English languages lacked definite spelling rules. The introduction of Norman French to England, as well as the official court languages of Latin and French, also had pronounced influences on the spelling of surnames. Since medieval scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded, rather than adhering to any specific spelling rules, it was common to find the same individual referred to with different spellings. The name has been spelled Raskill, Raskell, Reskill, Reskell, Rascal, Rascall, Rascill and many more.

Early Notables of the Rasch family

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

Rasch Ranking

the United States, the name Rasch is the 12,152^nd most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 2

Rasch migration to the United States +

Many English families emigrated to North American colonies in order to escape the political chaos in Britain at this time. Unfortunately, many English families made the trip to the New World under extremely harsh conditions. Overcrowding on the ships caused the majority of the immigrants to arrive diseased, famished, and destitute from the long journey across the stormy Atlantic. Despite these hardships, many of the families prospered and went on to make invaluable contributions to the development of the cultures of the United States and Canada. Early North American immigration records have revealed a number of people bearing the name Rasch or a variant listed above:

Rasch Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Jacob Rasch, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1731 3
Peter Rasch, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1749 3

Rasch Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Anton Rasch, who landed in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1804 3
Valentin Rasch, who landed in North America in 1836 3
Johann Friederich Rasch, aged 36, who landed in Missouri in 1838 3
Henry Rasch, who arrived in Missouri in 1840 3
Albert Rasch, who settled in Texas in 1851
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Rasch (post 1700) +

Raymond "Ray" Rasch (1917-1964), American posthumous Academy Award winning pianist and arranger
Carl L. Rasch (1866-1961), German-born, American federal judge
Albertina Rasch (1891-1967), Vienna-born, American dancer and choreographer
Sir Simon Anthony Carne Rasch (b. 1948), 4th Baronet
Sir Richard Guy Carne Rasch (1918-1996), 3rd Baronet
Sir Frederic Carne Rasch (1880-1963), 2nd Baronet
Sir Frederic Carne Rasch (1847-1914), 1st Baronet of Woodhill in Danbury, Essex
Torsten Rasch (b. 1965), German composer of contemporary classical music
Lars Rasch (1797-1864), Norwegian jurist and politician, Mayor of Christania (1845) and (1847-1852)
... (Another 6 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Sources +

Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
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)