Origin of the surname Ravens

This interesting name is of early medieval English origin, and developed from a nickname for a thievish or dark-haired person, from the Middle English "raven", a development of the Old English pre 7th Century "hraefn". In some cases it may be from a personal name derived from this element, taken over into Middle English from the Old Norse byname "Hrafn"; an example of this is one, Rauen de Engelbi recorded in the 1185 Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire. It is also present in placenames such as Ravenscroft and Rawnsley.

In England, a few early forms such as William atte Raven (London, 1344) suggest that it may also be partly derived from a house-sign or an inn-sign. Other variant spellings of the name include, Reven, Revance, Rivance, Revens, Revans and Ravens. One William Raven married Elizabeth Chalener on August 27th 1564 at St. Lawrence Jewry, London. A Coat of Arms granted to a Raven family on October 15th 1561 depicts, on a gold shield, a lion rampant double queued blue on a chief indented black three bezants. The Crest is a green demi dragon, winged red. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of William Raven, which was dated 1133, in the "Records of the Abbey of Ramsey", Bedfordshire, during the reign of King Henry 1, known as "The Administrator", 1100 - 1135. 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.

The surname Ravens. Genealogy, origin, history, meaning, and significance

Discovering the historical roots of ravens is deeply interesting, as it takes us back to the ancestors and relatives who established this lineage. The origin, the coat of arms or the different heraldic shields, and the bibliography in which the surname ravens is mentioned are part of this exciting investigation.

The surname Ravens around the world

Although surnames have a specific origin at a certain time and region of the planet, many of them have spread far and wide across the world for various reasons, as is the case with the surname ravens. The list of countries with a higher presence of people with the surname ravens provides us with a perspective on the history of the surname, beyond its origins, focusing on its migrations.

History of Ravens

The historical chronicle of ravens is based on a striking series of events that were led by those who have carried this surname throughout history. For those like you, who are interested in the history hidden behind the surname ravens, 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 ravens developed.

We suggest that if you want to learn more about the surname ravens, try to locate it through the bibliographic sources we suggest. 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 ravens and send it to us, we will update it on this website.

Notable Figures Named Ravens

It's more than likely that there have been some distinguished ravenss throughout human history. Sadly, not all the contributions of those who bore the surname ravens were recorded by the chroniclers of the time.

The surname Ravens and its bibliographic sources

Thanks to a significant bibliographic review, we have so far compiled information on the heraldry, history, and genealogy of ravens. The origin, history, coat of arms or different coats of arms, and the heraldry of ravens are recorded in a wide variety of sources and documents that are essential to know for better compilation.

SOURCES

These sources are essential for initiating the understanding of ravens, and at the same time, of surnames in general.

Origin of Ravens