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![Show Contents]() Ratmell History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
- Origins Available:
 England
The Ratmell surname is a habitational, taken on from the place name Rathmell in North Yorkshire. The name dates back to at least the Domesday Book where it was listed as Rodemele and held by Roger de Poitou. 1 The name was derived from the Old Norse words rauthr + melr which means "red sandbank" 2 Early Origins of the Ratmell familyThe surname Ratmell 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 Rathmell, held by Roger le Poitevin, a Norman noble who was recorded in the Domesday Book census of 1086. Early History of the Ratmell familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Ratmell research. Another 51 words (4 lines of text) covering the year 1379 is included under the topic Early Ratmell History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Ratmell Spelling VariationsAnglo-Norman names are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. When the Normans became the ruling people of England in the 11th century, they introduced a new language into a society where the main languages of Old and later Middle English had no definite spelling rules. These languages were more often spoken than written, so they blended freely with one another. Contributing to this mixing of tongues was the fact that medieval scribes spelled words according to sound, ensuring that a person's name would appear differently in nearly every document in which it was recorded. The name has been spelled Rathmell, Rathmall, Ratmell, Ratmall, Rathmel and many more. Early Notables of the Ratmell familyMore information is included under the topic Early Ratmell Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Migration of the Ratmell familyFor many English families, the political and religious disarray that plagued their homeland made the frontiers of the New World an attractive prospect. Thousands migrated, aboard cramped disease-ridden ships. They arrived sick, poor, and hungry, but were welcomed in many cases with far greater opportunity than at home in England. Many of these hardy settlers went on to make important contributions to the emerging nations in which they landed. Among early immigrants bearing the name Ratmell or a variant listed above were: Benjamin Rathmell, who came to Philadelphia in 1853.
- Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
- Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
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