Raymer History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

The earliest origins of the name Raymer date back to the time of the Anglo-Saxons. The name is derived from the baptismal name Rainer, which was taken from the Old Germanic name Raginhari which means counsel and army. Baptismal names began to appear as surnames relatively late in the growth of the naming tradition. This is a little surprising, given the popularity of biblical figures in the Christian countries of Europe. Nevertheless, surnames derived from baptismal names grew in popularity during the Middle Ages, and have become one of the foremost sources for surnames.

Early Origins of the Raymer family

The surname Raymer was first found in Herefordshire. The name was first recorded as Raynerus (Rainerus), a tenant in chief in the Domesday Book of 1086. 1 A few years later Reynerus cancellarius was listed in Norfolk in 1101-1125 and Ricardus filius Rainer was listed at Winton in Hampshire in 1148. 2 The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 list the name as a personal name: Reyner le Blake in Norfolk; and Reyner Custance in Norfolk. The Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379 list Anabilla Rayner and Thomas Rayner. 3

Early History of the Raymer family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Raymer research. Another 96 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1086, 1400, 1589, 1600, 1610, 1651 and 1668 are included under the topic Early Raymer History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Raymer Spelling Variations

Until quite recently, the English language has lacked a definite system of spelling rules. Consequently, Anglo-Saxon surnames are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. Changes in Anglo-Saxon names were influenced by the evolution of the English language, as it incorporated elements of French, Latin, and other languages. Although Medieval scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded, so it is common to find one person referred to by several different spellings of his surname, even the most literate people varied the spelling of their own names. Variations of the name Raymer include Rayners, Rainor, Rayner, Raynor, Rainer, Raynar, Rainyer, Reyner, Rauner, Raener, Rainar, Raynere, Raynars, Raynors, Raynore, Raynare, Raynair and many more.

Early Notables of the Raymer family

Distinguished members of the family include Edward Reyner (Rayner) (1600-c.1668), an English nonconforming clergyman, known as a devotional writer, born in the parish of Morley, near Leeds. Tobie Matthew, Archbishop of York, took some notice of him as a boy, and foretold that he would rise to distinction. Reyner escaped from Lincoln during the Royalist Occupation and...
Another 56 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Raymer Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Raymer Ranking

In the United States, the name Raymer is the 6,788^th most popular surname with an estimated 4,974 people with that name. 4

Raymer migration to the United States +

Searching for a better life, many English families migrated to British colonies. Unfortunately, the majority of them traveled under extremely harsh conditions: overcrowding on the ships caused the majority of the immigrants to arrive diseased, famished, and destitute from the long journey across the ocean. For those families that arrived safely, modest prosperity was attainable, and many went on to make invaluable contributions to the development of the cultures of the new colonies. Research into the origins of individual families in North America revealed records of the immigration of a number of people bearing the name Raymer or a variant listed above:

Raymer Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Agnes Raymer, aged 25, arrived in New York in 1893 aboard the ship "Ems" from Bremen, Germany 5

Raymer Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

Frances B. Raymer, aged 56, arrived in New York in 1906 aboard the ship "Cedric" from Liverpool, England 5
Edwin Raymer, aged 28, arrived in New York in 1913 aboard the ship "Vasari" from Rio de Janeiro 5
Frank Raymer, aged 30, arrived in New York in 1919 aboard the ship "Charles" from Rotterdam, Netherlands 5

Contemporary Notables of the name Raymer (post 1700) +

Steve Raymer, American journalist and National Geographic staff photographer for over two decades
Robert Raymer (b. 1956), American writer
Rick Raymer, American video game designer
Greg Raymer (b. 1964), American poker player, nicknamed "Fossilman," winner of the 2004 World Series of Poker Main Event
Frederick Charles "Fred" Raymer (1875-1957), American Major League Baseball player for the Chicago Orphans in 1901 and the Boston Beaneaters in 1905
Daniel Raymer (b. 1954), American aerospace engineer, Director of Advanced Concept Design at the Lockheed Skunk Works
Cory Raymer (b. 1973), American NFL football player for the Washington Redskins (1995–2001), San Diego Chargers (2002–2003) and the Washington Redskins (2004–2005)
Brent Raymer (b. 1985), American NASCAR driver
Beth Raymer (b. 1976), American writer and journalist
Vic Raymer, Canadian curler who played Second on the Alberta Avenue CC curling team during the World Curling Championships in 1961

Citations +

Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
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/
Ellis Island Search retrieved 15th November 2022. Retrieved from https://heritage.statueofliberty.org/passenger-result