Rainer History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Germany

Etymology of Rainer

What does the name Rainer mean?

The name Rainer originated with the Anglo-Saxon tribes that once ruled Britain. It is derived 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 Rainer family

The surname Rainer 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 Rainer family

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

Rainer Spelling Variations

One relatively recent invention that did much to standardize English spelling was the printing press. However, before its invention even the most literate people recorded their names according to sound rather than spelling. The spelling variations under which the name Rainer has appeared 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 Rainer 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 Rainer Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Rainer Ranking

In the United States, the name Rainer is the 8,620^th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 4

Rainer migration to the United States +

At this time, the shores of the New World beckoned many English families that felt that the social climate in England was oppressive and lacked opportunity for change. Thousands left England at great expense in ships that were overcrowded and full of disease. A great portion of these settlers never survived the journey and even a greater number arrived sick, starving, and without a penny. The survivors, however, were often greeted with greater opportunity than they could have experienced back home. These English settlers made significant contributions to those colonies that would eventually become the United States and Canada. An examination of early immigration records and passenger ship lists revealed that people bearing the name Rainer arrived in North America very early:

Rainer Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Mary Rainer and her husband James settled in Charles Town [Charleston], South Carolina in 1767

Rainer Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Pell Del Rainer, aged 81, who landed in New Orleans, La in 1829 5
John, Peter and Phillip Rainer, who arrived in Pennsylvania between 1772 and 1851
J Rainer, who landed in San Francisco, California in 1851 5
Joseph A Rainer, aged 21, who arrived in New York in 1857 5
George Rainer, who arrived in Washington County, Pennsylvania in 1860 5
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Rainer (post 1700) +

Yvonne Rainer (b. 1934), American dancer, choreographer and filmmaker
Wali Rainer (b. 1977), retired American NFL football linebacker
Dachine Rainer (1921-2000), American-born, English poet and anarchist
S. P. Rainer, American Democratic Party politician, Alternate Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Alabama, 1908 6
Roland Rainer (1910-2004), Austrian architect
Reinhold Rainer (b. 1973), Italian luger
Marie-Louise Rainer, Italian silver and two-time bronze medalist luger
Luise Rainer (b. 1910), German film actress
Gerhard Rainer (b. 1961), Austrian bobsledder
Arnulf Rainer (b. 1929), Austrian abstract painter
... (Another 2 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Sources +

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)
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
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, October 26) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html