Raney History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Scotland
Ireland

Etymology of Raney

What does the name Raney mean?

Raney is an ancient Scottish name that was first used by the Strathclyde-Briton people of the Scottish/English Borderlands. It is a name for someone who lived in De Reiney, or Rigny, in Champagne, France. "Hagebert de Rigneio, in 1101, witnessed a charter of the Bishop of Tulle, and may have been the same that possessed lands in Essex in 1086 1 Roger de Reigny witnessed a charter of Bishop Roger of Sarum, temp. Hen. I., and Robert de Reigny held five fees in Devon in 1165." 2 Newton-Reigny, in the Forest of Inglewood, was their seat in Cumberland. 3

Early Origins of the Raney family

The surname Raney was first found in Angus (Gaelic: Aonghas), part of the Tayside region of northeastern Scotland, and present day Council Area of Angus, formerly known as Forfar or Forfarshire.

"The Ranys or Rennys were extensive owners of land in the district of Craig in Angus from the middle of the fifteenth century, and the Rennies of Usan were recognized as an old family. Symon Renny was bailie of Inverkeithing in 1362. John Rayny, pelliparius, was burgess of Stirling in 1436." 4

Early History of the Raney family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Raney research. Another 187 words (13 lines of text) covering the years 1402, 1409, 1526, 1572, 1592, 1798 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Raney History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Raney Spelling Variations

In Medieval times, spelling and translation were not nearly so highly developed as today. They were generally carried out according to the sound and intuition of the bearer. For that reason spelling variations are extremely common among early Scottish names. Raney has been spelled Rayney, Rainy, Rainey, Rainnie, Rennie, Renny and many more.

Early Notables of the Raney family

More information is included under the topic Early Raney Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Raney Ranking

In the United States, the name Raney is the 3,555^th most popular surname with an estimated 7,461 people with that name. 5

Migration of the Raney family to Ireland

Some of the Raney family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 124 words (9 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Raney migration to the United States +

Unrest, poverty, and persecution caused thousands to look for opportunity and freedom in the North American colonies. The crossing was long, overcrowded, and unsanitary, though, and came only at great expense. Many Strathclyde families settled on the east coast of North America in communities that would form the backbone of what would become the great nations of the United States and Canada. The American War of Independence caused those who remained loyal to England to move north to Canada as United Empire Loyalists. In the 20th century, Strathclyde and other Scottish families across North America began to recover their collective heritage through highland games and Clan societies. Among them:

Raney Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Tho Raney, who arrived in Virginia in 1696 6

Raney Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

John Raney, who landed in Virginia in 1746 6

Raney Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

David Raney, aged 31, who landed in Maryland in 1813 6
Benjamin Raney, aged 33, who arrived in New York in 1832 6
Miss Catherine Raney, aged 25, British settler who arrived in New York aboard the ship "Britannia" on 20th July 1840
Mr. Matt Raney, aged 25, British labourer who arrived in New York aboard the ship "Britannia" on 20th July 1840
P Raney, who arrived in San Francisco, California in 1851 6
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Raney (post 1700) +

Michele E. Raney (b. 1951), American physician and first woman to over winter at an Antarctica inland station
John Nathan Raney (b. 1947), American businessman and politician, Member of the Texas House of Representatives (2011-2025)
John Henry Raney (1849-1928), American politician, U.S. Representative from Missouri (1895-1897)
George P. Raney (1845-1911), American politician and attorney, Chief Justice of the Florida Supreme Court
Della H. Raney (1912-1987), African-American pioneering Army nurse
Frank Robert Donald "Ribs" Raney (1923-2003), American Major League Baseball right-handed pitcher who appeared in four games for the St. Louis Browns during the 1949-1950 seasons
Robert James Raney (1883-1963), American architect who worked for 20 years as the chief architect of the Fred Harvey Company system
Wayne Raney (1921-1993), American country singer and harmonica player
Murray Raney (1885-1966), American mechanical engineer, inventor of Raney nickel
Sue Raney (b. 1940), stage name of Raelene Claire Claussen, an American jazz singer
... (Another 5 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)
The Norman People and Their Existing Descendants in the British Dominions and the United States Of America. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing, 1975. Print. (ISBN 0-8063-0636-X)
Cleveland, Dutchess of The Battle Abbey Roll with some Account of the Norman Lineages. London: John Murray, Abermarle Street, 1889. Print. Volume 3 of 3
Black, George F., The Surnames of Scotland Their Origin, Meaning and History. New York: New York Public Library, 1946. Print. (ISBN 0-87104-172-3)
"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)