| ![Show Contents]() Rawley History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
The name Rawley first arose amongst the Anglo-Saxon tribes of Britain. It is derived from their having lived in the village of Raleigh in the county of Devon. This place-name was originally derived from the Old English ra leah meaning a meadow for deer. 1 Early Origins of the Rawley familyThe surname Rawley was first found in Devon where one of the first records of the name was William de Raley (or William de Ralegh or William Raleigh) (died 1250) a medieval judge, administrator and bishop. Born in Devon, he became Bishop of Winchester, "but it is doubtful to which of the four branches of the Devonshire Raleighs he belonged. In 1212 he was presented by King John to the church of Bratton, and was employed in judicial business in Lincolnshire and Cumberland in 1226-1227." 2 "According to Fuller, they derived their name from 'a well-known town' in that county. I cannot discover any town, or even village, so called." 3 However another source provides more clues about the bishop's origin: "Ralegh, Bishop of Winchester, 1244, was born at Ralegh, in the parish of Pilton, the original seat of this famous family. " 4 The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 list the following: Hugh de Ralegh in Devon; and Warin de Raleghe in Somerset. 5 Early History of the Rawley familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Rawley research. Another 153 words (11 lines of text) covering the years 1300, 1552, 1586, 1597, 1600, 1605, 1618, 1626, 1641, 1646, 1659 and 1666 are included under the topic Early Rawley History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Rawley Spelling VariationsOne relatively recent invention that did much to standardize English spelling was the printing press. However, before its invention even the most literate people recorded their names according to sound rather than spelling. The spelling variations under which the name Rawley has appeared include Raleigh, Rawleigh, Rawley, Rawle, Rawles and others. Early Notables of the Rawley familyNotables of this surname at this time include: - William Rawley (died 1626) was the chaplain of the philosopher Francis Bacon, King Charles I, and King Charles II. He was Bacon's literary executor
Rawley RankingIn the United States, the name Rawley is the 16,035th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 6  Migration of the Rawley family to Ireland
Some of the Rawley family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 97 words (7 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
| Rawley migration to the United States | + |
At this time, the shores of the New World beckoned many English families that felt that the social climate in England was oppressive and lacked opportunity for change. Thousands left England at great expense in ships that were overcrowded and full of disease. A great portion of these settlers never survived the journey and even a greater number arrived sick, starving, and without a penny. The survivors, however, were often greeted with greater opportunity than they could have experienced back home. These English settlers made significant contributions to those colonies that would eventually become the United States and Canada. An examination of early immigration records and passenger ship lists revealed that people bearing the name Rawley arrived in North America very early:
Rawley Settlers in United States in the 17th Century- Andrew Rawley, who arrived in Virginia in 1623 7
- Tho Rawley, who landed in Virginia in 1650 7
- Margaret Rawley, who arrived in Maryland in 1663 7
- Rachel Rawley, who landed in Maryland in 1675 7
Rawley Settlers in United States in the 18th Century- Richard Rawley, who arrived in Virginia in 1715 7
Rawley Settlers in United States in the 19th Century- John Rawley, who landed in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1852 7
| Rawley migration to Australia | + |
Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include: Rawley Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century- Robert Rawley, English convict from Middlesex, who was transported aboard the "Almorah" on April 1817, settling in New South Wales, Australia 8
| Rawley migration to New Zealand | + |
Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include: Rawley Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century- Walter H. Rawley, aged 20, a labourer, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Berar" in 1875
| Contemporary Notables of the name Rawley (post 1700) | + |
- Wilbert Rawley, American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Delaware, 1944, 1960 (alternate) 9
- Mojo Rawley (b. 1986), born Dean Muhtadi, a former American football defensive lineman
- James Rawley (1915-2005), American historian, eponym of The James A. Rawley Prize, an annual book award made by the Organization of American Historians
- Shane William Rawley (b. 1955), American Major League Baseball player who played from 1978 to 1989
- Judy Crawford Rawley (b. 1951), Canadian alpine skier at the 1972 Winter Olympics
- Rawley Heimer, American Research Economist at the Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland
- Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
- Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
- Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
- Worth, R.N., A History of Devonshire London: Elliot Stock, 62, Paternoster Row, E.G., 1895. Digital
- Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
- "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)
- State Library of Queensland. (Retrieved 2016, October 27) Almorah voyage to New South Wales, Australia in 1817 with 180 passengers. Retrieved from http://www.convictrecords.com.au/ships/almorah/1817
- The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2016, January 28) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
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Rawley migration to the United States 
Rawley migration to Australia 
Rawley migration to New Zealand 
England
Ireland
