Ravenel History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

Etymology of Ravenel

What does the name Ravenel mean?

The name Ravenel was brought to England in the wave of migration that followed the Norman Conquest of 1066. The Ravenel family lived in Herefordshire. Their name, however, is a reference to Revenel, Normandy, the family's place of residence prior to the Norman Conquest of England in 1066. 1 The place name in Normandy literally means "hanneton, small rave, yellow flower, clove."2 However, another source claims the name is from Ravenhill in the North Riding of Yorkshire "or some other 'raven-hill.'" 3

"Jordan de Revenell and Thomas his son witnessed a charter of Richard de Luvetot, confirming his father's grants to Worksop Abbey. This was in the reign of Stephen. The name occurs in the Duchy. " 1

Two sources claim the name is a local name as in "the Hill frequented by Ravens." 4 5 And another source comments on this claim "this is easy enough to write, and, of course, it is well-nigh impossible to contradict the statement. At the same time I cannot discover a hill so called, nor any entry with a local prefix. Yet the surname is a familiar one, there being eight in the London Directory alone. The following entries prove the surname is patronymic from the persona name, Ravenchil. There may also be connections to Rauenchil, Yorkshire. " 6

Early Origins of the Ravenel family

The surname Ravenel was first found in Herefordshire where they held a family seat as Lords of the Manor of Rovenhall.

However, we must look to the ancient county of Kent, "The Garden of England," home of Canterbury Cathedral, the seat of the Archbishop of Canterbury for this first records of the family. For it is there, that the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 listed Mariota Ravenild and Robertus Ravenild. 6

Later in Yorkshire, the Subsidy Rolls of 1297 listed Willelmus filius Rauenilde. In Cheshire, Matilda Rafenild was listed in the Hundredorum Rolls of 1279. The Pipe Rolls of 1230 included an entry for Nicholas de Rauenhill in Herefordshire. 3

Early History of the Ravenel family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Ravenel research. Another 190 words (14 lines of text) covering the years 1700, 1743, 1787, 1813 and 1904 are included under the topic Early Ravenel History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Ravenel Spelling Variations

Spelling variations in names were a common occurrence in the eras before English spelling was standardized a few hundred years ago. In the Middle Ages, even the literate regularly changed the spellings of their names as the English language incorporated elements of French, Latin, and other European languages. Many variations of the name Ravenel have been found, including Ravenel, Ravenell, Ravenhill, Ravenhall, Ravenholl and many more.

Early Notables of the Ravenel family

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

Ravenel Ranking

In France, the name Ravenel is the 9,537^th most popular surname with an estimated 500 - 1,000 people with that name. 7

Ravenel migration to the United States +

For many English families, the social climate in England was oppressive and lacked opportunity for change. For such families, the shores of Ireland, Australia, and the New World beckoned. They left their homeland at great expense in ships that were overcrowded and full of disease. Many arrived after the long voyage sick, starving, and without a penny. But even those were greeted with greater opportunity than they could have experienced back home. Numerous English settlers who arrived in the United States and Canada at this time went on to make important contributions to the developing cultures of those countries. Many of those families went on to make significant contributions to the rapidly developing colonies in which they settled. Early North American records indicate many people bearing the name Ravenel were among those contributors:

Ravenel Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Rene Ravenel, who arrived in Charleston, South Carolina in 1682 8
Rene Ravenel and his wife, who settled in Carolina in 1695

Contemporary Notables of the name Ravenel (post 1700) +

Arthur Ravenel Jr. (1927-2023), American businessman and politician, Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from South Carolina (1987-1995), Member of the South Carolina Senate (1997-2005)
Charles D. Ravenel, American Democratic Party politician, Candidate for U.S. Senator from South Carolina, 1978 9

Citations +

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)
Dionne, N.-E., Les Canadiens-Francais Origine Des Familles. Baltimore: Geneological Publishing Company, 1969. Print
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
Harrison, Henry, Surnames of the United Kingdom: A Concise Etymological Dictionary Baltimore: Geneological Publishing Company, 2013. Print
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
http://www.journaldesfemmes.com/nom-de-famille/nom/
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 2016, January 28) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html