Roify History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

• Origins Available:
• England

Etymology of Roify

The ancestors of the Roify family migrated to England following the Norman Conquest of 1066. The surname Roify is based on the Norman given name Rudolph.

Early Origins of the Roify family

Early History of the Roify family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Roify research. Another 149 words (11 lines of text) covering the years 1066, 1297, 1332, 1510, 1521 and 1557 are included under the topic Early Roify History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Roify Spelling Variations

Before English spelling was standardized a few hundred years ago, spelling variations of names were a common occurrence. Elements of Latin, Norman French and other languages became incorporated into English throughout the Middle Ages, and name spellings changed even among the literate. The variations of the surname Roify include Roffe, Rolfe, Rolph, Roalph, Roff, Ruff, Rouf and others.

Early Notables of the Roify family

John Rough (died 1557), Scottish Protestant martyr, is stated to have been born in 1510, but as he was incorporated in St. Leonard's College in the university of St. Andrews in 1521. He was a close friend of John Knox and was soon summoned before Winram, the vicar-general of St. Andrews. Rough managed to leave for England before the surrender of...
Another 60 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Roify Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Roify family

In England at this time, the uncertainty of the political and religious environment of the time caused many families to board ships for distant British colonies in the hopes of finding land and opportunity, and escaping persecution. The voyages were expensive, crowded, and difficult, though, and many arrived in North America sick, starved, and destitute. Those who did make it, however, were greeted with greater opportunities and freedoms that they could have experienced at home. Many of those families went on to make important contributions to the young nations in which they settled. Early immigration records have shown some of the first Roifys to arrive on North American shores: James Rolfe and his wife Elizabeth Rolfe, who arrived in Virginia in 1623 with their son; Barbary Rofe who settled in New England in 1635; William Rofe, who arrived in Barbados in 1635.