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![Show Contents]() Relfe History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
- Origins Available:
 England Scotland
One of the most common classes of Scottish surnames is the patronymic surname, which arose out of the vernacular and religious naming 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. Patronymic surnames of this type were usually derived from the personal name of the original bearer's father. The surname Relfe is derived from the Old Norse given name Randolph, which itself comes from the Old German words, rat, meaning counsel, and wolf, meaning wolf. Early Origins of the Relfe familyThe surname Relfe was first found in the town of Nairn in Nairnshire (Gaelic: Siorrachd Inbhir Narann) in northern Scotland, today part of the Council Area of Highland, where they are thought to have arrived well before the invasion of Britain of Duke William of Normandy in 1066 A.D. One of the first records of the family was Ralph (died 1144), Bishop of Orkney, whose name usually appears as Ralph Nowell, a native of York, where he became a priest. "York writers assert that, apparently about 1110, Ralph was elected (by men of the Orkneys) to the bishopric of the islands in the church of St. Peter at York." 1 Early History of the Relfe familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Relfe research. Another 117 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1205 and 1452 are included under the topic Early Relfe History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Relfe Spelling VariationsScottish surnames are distinguished by a multitude of spelling variations because, over the centuries, the names were frequently translated into and from Gaelic. Furthermore, the spelling of surnames was rarely consistent because medieval scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded, rather than adhering to any specific spelling rules. The different versions of a surname, such as the inclusion of the patronymic prefix "Mac", frequently indicated a religious or Clan affiliation or even a division of the family. Moreover, a large number of foreign names were brought into Scotland, accelerating accentuating the alterations to various surnames. The name Relfe has also been spelled Ralph, Rolph, Rolfe and others. Early Notables of the Relfe familyAnother 38 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Relfe Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
 Relfe migration to the United States | + |
Some of the first immigrants to cross the Atlantic and come to North America carried the name Relfe, or a variant listed above:
Relfe Settlers in United States in the 17th Century- John Relfe, who landed in Maryland or Virginia in 1673 2
- Thomas Relfe, who arrived in Maryland in 1679 2
| Contemporary Notables of the name Relfe (post 1700) | + |
- James Hugh Relfe (1791-1863), American Democratic Party politician, Member of Missouri State Legislature; U.S. Representative from Missouri at-large, 1843-47 3
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: Cresco crescendeo
Motto Translation: I increase by increasing.
- Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
- 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)
- The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, December 8) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
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Relfe migration to the United States 
