Rawbone History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

The history of the name Rawbone begins with the Anglo-Saxon tribes of Britain. It is derived from the baptismal name Rawbone. Patronymic surnames arose out of the vernacular and religious given name traditions. The vernacular or regional naming tradition is the oldest and most pervasive type of patronymic surname. According to this custom, names were originally composed of vocabulary elements from the local language. Vernacular names that were derived from ancient Germanic personal names have cognates in most European languages.

Early Origins of the Rawbone family

The surname Rawbone was first found in Worcestershire where Richard Rathebon was listed in the Subsidy Rolls of 1275. However, Cheshire was a focal point for the family as numerous entries were found there from the 14th century on. John Rathebon was listed there in 1347 1 and one source notes the name was in: "Cheshire records as Rathebon, does not seem to be English. If the original bearers of the name came from Ireland it answers to the Irish Rathbane, Rathbaun = 'White Fort' [Irish rath, a fort; also palace + bán, white]. If from Wales (as seems more likely), the name prob. means the 'Stumpy Clearing or Plain' [Welsh rhath, a cleared spot, plain (conn. with Irish rath) + Welsh bon, a stock, stump, stem (conn. with Irish and Gaelic bonn, a foundation, base] and is apparently allied to 'Ratisbon.' " 2

Another source has a slightly different understanding: "this surname is derived from a geographical locality. 'of Ruabon'. There seems little doubt that these surnames hail from Cheshire, also that Ruabon is the parent. The change to Rathbone is peculiar, but perhaps the place-name Ruabon has undergone a change. I furnish an instance of Rawbone from the Prestbury registers (Cheshire) dated 1603. A Thomas Rathbone was living there in 1695." 3

"There were Rathbones in Prestbury, [Cheshire] 200 years ago. Richard Rathbone was mayor of Chester in 1598, and Thomas Rathbone was sheriff of that city in 1790." 4

Early History of the Rawbone family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Rawbone research. Another 98 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1696, 1726, 1746, 1748, 1750, 1757, 1763, 1770, 1773, 1780, 1789, 1792, 1807, 1809 and 1831 are included under the topic Early Rawbone History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Rawbone Spelling Variations

The English language only became standardized in the last few centuries; therefore, spelling variations are common among early Anglo-Saxon names. As the form of the English language changed, even the spelling of literate people's names evolved. Rawbone has been recorded under many different variations, including Rathbone, Rawbone, Rathburn and others.

Early Notables of the Rawbone family

Distinguished members of the family include William Rathbone II (1696-1746), founder of Rathbone Brothers, in Liverpool a timber business that grew to be one of the United Kingdom's largest firms of wealth managers, thus beginning a long running family of Liverpool merchants and shipowners with a long history of philanthropy and public service. Wilson Rathborne (1748-1831), captain in the navy, son of Richard Rathborne, a clergyman, was born near Loughrea, co. Galway, on 16 July 1748. In September 1763 he was entered as an ‘able seaman’ on board the Niger, with Sir Thomas Adams, on the Newfoundland station. As able seaman and...
Another 268 words (19 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Rawbone Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Rawbone family

For many English families, the political and religious disarray that shrouded England made the far away New World an attractive prospect. On cramped disease-ridden ships, thousands migrated to those British colonies that would eventually become Canada and the United States. Those hardy settlers that survived the journey often went on to make important contributions to the emerging nations in which they landed. Analysis of immigration records indicates that some of the first North American immigrants bore the name Rawbone or a variant listed above: William Rathbourne, who settled in Virginia in 1654; Jonathon Rathbone settled in Charleston in 1820; and Mary Rathburn and her husband, who settled in Pennsylvania in 1772..

Contemporary Notables of the name Rawbone (post 1700) +

Charles Rawbone, American politician, Representative from Massachusetts 2nd District, 1900 5

The Rawbone Motto +

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: Suaviter et Fortiter
Motto Translation: Mildly and firmly.

Citations +

Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Harrison, Henry, Surnames of the United Kingdom: A Concise Etymological Dictionary Baltimore: Geneological Publishing Company, 2013. Print
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
Guppy, Henry Brougham, Homes of Family Names in Great Britain. 1890. Print.
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2016, January 28) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html