Show ContentsRawlee History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Etymology of Rawlee

What does the name Rawlee mean?

The Rawlee surname is a patronymic from a medieval form of the personal name Ralph.

Early Origins of the Rawlee family

The surname Rawlee was first found in Cornwall where they held a family seat as Lords of the Manor of Kennet and Trevil in St.Juliet. "The manor called Tresparvet [in the parish of St. Ives] belongs to William Rawle, Esq. in whose family it has been vested for many generations. The manor of Tremorvill or Tremorill, which belonged to the Bottreaux family so early as the reign of Edward I. is the property of Mr. Rawle." 1

Early History of the Rawlee family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Rawlee research. Another 168 words (12 lines of text) covering the years 1400, 1632, 1658, 1660, 1683, 1686 and 1727 are included under the topic Early Rawlee History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Rawlee Spelling Variations

Cornish surnames are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. The frequent changes in surnames are due to the fact that the Old and Middle English languages lacked definite spelling rules. The official court languages, which were Latin and French, were also influential on the spelling of a surname. Since the spelling of surnames was rarely consistent in medieval times, and 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 of their surname in the ancient chronicles. Moreover, a large number of foreign names were brought into England, which accelerated and accentuated the alterations to the spelling of various surnames. Lastly, spelling variations often resulted from the linguistic differences between the people of Cornwall and the rest of England. The Cornish spoke a unique Brythonic Celtic language which was first recorded in written documents during the 10th century. However, they became increasingly Anglicized, and Cornish became extinct as a spoken language in 1777, although it has been revived by Cornish patriots in the modern era. The name has been spelled Rawle, Rawles, Rorles, Ralls, Rall and others.

Early Notables of the Rawlee family

Francis Rawle (1660-1727), Cornish colonist, born in England, son of Francis Rawle, and came of an old Cornish family of some wealth and standing, settled at one time near St. Juliot, and later in the neighbourhood of Plymouth. "Both father and son were Quakers, and were persecuted for their religious belief, being imprisoned together at...
Another 54 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Rawlee Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Rawlee family

A look at the immigration and passenger lists has shown a number of people bearing the name Rawlee: Francis, Rawle Sr., and Francis, Rawle Jr., who arrived in Philadelphia in 1686; David Rawl, who arrived in Annapolis, MD in 1746; David Rawle, a bonded passenger who arrived in America in 1746.



  1. Hutchins, Fortescue, The History of Cornwall, from the Earliest Records and Traditions to the Present Time. London: William Penaluna, 1824. Print


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