Raymor History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

The generations and branches of the Raymor family share a name that has its roots in the ancient Anglo-Saxon culture of Britain. The name Raymor comes 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 Raymor family

The surname Raymor 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 Raymor family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Raymor 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 Raymor History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Raymor 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 Raymor 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 Raymor 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 Raymor Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Raymor family

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 Raymor or a variant listed above: Mary Rainer and her husband James settled in Charles Town [Charleston], South Carolina in 1767; John, Peter and Phillip Rainer arrived in Pennsylvania between 1772 and 1851.

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)