Ravin History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

• Origins Available:
• Netherlands
• England

Etymology of Ravin

The name Ravin came to England with the ancestors of the Ravin family in the Norman Conquest of 1066. It comes from the Old English given name Raven. This name is a variation of the Old English word Hroefn, which indicated the large black bird we now call the raven, and was sometimes used as a nickname for someone with very dark hair.

"Among the spoil taken by the Saxons was the famous banner of the Raven, said to have been woven in one day by the sisters of Inguar and Ubba, and to have possessed the property of appearing before every battle flying like a living bird if the Danes were to be victorious; while in the contrary event it hung down motionless." 1

Early Origins of the Ravin family

Early History of the Ravin family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Ravin research. Another 85 words (6 lines of text) covering the year 1086 is included under the topic Early Ravin History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Ravin Spelling Variations

Anglo-Norman names tend to be marked by an enormous number of spelling variations. This is largely due to the fact that Old and Middle English lacked any spelling rules when Norman French was introduced in the 11th century. The languages of the English courts at that time were French and Latin. These various languages mixed quite freely in the evolving social milieu. The final element of this mix is that medieval scribes spelled words according to their sounds rather than any definite rules, so a name was often spelled in as many different ways as the number of documents it appeared in. The name was spelled Raven, Ravens and others.

Early Notables of the Ravin family

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

Migration of the Ravin family

Because of the political and religious discontent in England, families began to migrate abroad in enormous numbers. Faced with persecution and starvation at home, the open frontiers and generally less oppressive social environment of the New World seemed tantalizing indeed to many English people. The trip was difficult, and not all made it unscathed, but many of those who did get to Canada and the United States made important contributions to the young nations in which they settled. Some of the first North American settlers with Ravin name or one of its variants: Peter Raven, who settled in Virginia in 1648; Mary Raven, who settled in Barbados in 1664; John and Jane Raven, and their four daughters, who settled in Maryland in 1672.