Find out how popular the last name Raby is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Raby.

Raby, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Raby surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Raby in America

Raby is the 7319th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Raby surname appeared 4,559 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 2 people would have the surname Raby.

We can also compare 2010 data for Raby to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Raby

The surname Raby is believed to have originated in England during the medieval period. It is thought to be a locational name derived from the village of Raby in County Durham, which was first recorded in the Domesday Book of 1086 as "Rabi".

The name Raby is thought to come from the Old Norse word "ra", meaning a roebuck or small deer, and the Old English word "by", meaning a farm or settlement. This suggests that the name may have originally referred to a settlement where deer were found or hunted.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Raby can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire from 1166, which mention a landowner named Robert de Raby. This suggests that the surname was already in use by the 12th century.

The village of Raby was associated with the powerful Neville family, who held the manor of Raby from the 12th century onwards. The Nevilles built Raby Castle, which became one of their main residencies. This connection may have contributed to the spread and prominence of the Raby surname in the region.

In the 13th century, a knight named Sir Henry de Raby accompanied King Edward I on his campaigns in Scotland and was present at the Siege of Caerlaverock in 1300. He is mentioned in the contemporary poem "The Siege of Caerlaverock" for his bravery.

Another notable figure with the surname Raby was John Raby (c.1405-1475), who served as Bishop of Carlisle and was a diplomat for King Henry VI during the Wars of the Roses. He was involved in negotiations with Scotland and France during this turbulent period.

In the 16th century, a member of the Raby family named William Raby (c.1505-1578) served as a Member of Parliament for the borough of Bury St Edmunds in Suffolk. He was also a prominent merchant and landowner in the area.

The Raby surname has also been found in various parts of England, including Yorkshire, Durham, Lincolnshire, and Suffolk, suggesting that it spread beyond its original locational origins over time.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Raby

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Raby.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Raby was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Raby has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Raby was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Raby, please contact us.

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