This interesting surname, with variant spellings Raund(s), Rands etc., has two distinct possible origins. Firstly, it may be a patronymic form of the medieval male given name Rand, itself a shortened form of any of the various Germanic personal names, for example Randolph, having as a first element "rand" meaning "rim (of a shield)". One, Rande de Borham was noted in a 13th Century "Calendar of Early Mayor's Court Rolls" for Cambridgeshire, and an Adam Rand appears in the 1275 "Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire".
The name may also be of topographical origin from residence by the outskirts of a settlement or on the bank of a river. The derivation, in this case, is from the old English pre 7th Century "rand", brink, edge, margin or shore. Rand in Lincolnshire, Rand Grange, in Yorkshire and Raunds, in Northamptonshire are all named with this element and the surname may in some instances be locational from any of the above places. On January 13th 1579 William Raunce and Elizabeth Ridlye were married in St. Thomas the Apostle, London and on January 13th 1598 Jeane Rance married a Richard Milbarne in London. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of Herlewinus de Rande, which was dated 1176, in "The Pipe Rolls of Northamptonshire", during the reign of King Henry 11, known as "The Builder of Churches", 1154 - 1189. Surnames became necessary when governments introduced personal taxation. In England this was known as Poll Tax. Throughout the centuries, surnames in every country have continued to "develop" often leading to astonishing variants of the original spelling.
Research into the possible origins of rance leads us to learn more about those who bear this surname. The origin, the coat of arms or the different heraldic shields, and the bibliography in which the surname rance is mentioned are part of this exciting investigation.
There is a considerable probability that rance has crossed the borders of its place of origin to establish itself, to a greater or lesser extent, in other parts of the world. With all the information we have today, it can be said that the countries where rance is most abundant are the following. The list of countries with a higher presence of people with the surname rance provides us with a perspective on the history of the surname, beyond its origins, focusing on its migrations.
The deeds, the way of life, the places they lived, the family relationships they had, the jobs they held by those who were the first to be named rance are found in every look back in the history of this lineage. For those like you, who are interested in the history hidden behind the surname rance, it is essential to find all kinds of information, both direct and tangential, that helps to construct a solid narrative of how the birth and expansion of rance developed.
It is common for genealogy and surname enthusiasts to provide us with information of special value, so the data we offer about the origins of rance could be modified. We keep our website updated through our own research and also thanks to contributions from people like you, after verification; so if you have information about rance and send it to us, we will update it on this website.
We assume that there have been significant contributions to humanity made by individuals with the surname rance, even though not all have been documented to our present day. Sadly, not all the contributions of those who bore the surname rance were recorded by the chroniclers of the time. It is our desire to highlight in this section those individuals with the surname rance who, for various reasons, have left their mark on the course of history.
The bibliography collects information related to the surname rance, which allows us to learn more about its meaning. The origin, history, coat of arms or different coats of arms, and the heraldry of rance are recorded in a wide variety of sources and documents that are essential to know for better compilation.
These sources are essential for initiating the understanding of rance, and at the same time, of surnames in general.