Raynor last name popularity, history, and meaning

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

Meaning of Raynor

An English occupational surname referring to one who worked as a fox hunter or keeper of foxhounds.

Raynor, 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 Raynor surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Raynor in America

Raynor is the 4563rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Raynor surname appeared 7,770 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 3 people would have the surname Raynor.

We can also compare 2010 data for Raynor 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.

2010 2000 Change (%)
Rank 4563 4366 4.41%
Count 7,770 7,520 3.27%
Proportion per 100k 2.63 2.79 -5.90%

The history of the last name Raynor

The surname Raynor is of English origin, tracing its roots back to the medieval era. It is derived from the Old English personal name "Reginald," which is a compound of the Germanic elements "ragin" meaning "counsel" and "wald" meaning "rule." Essentially, the name signifies "counselor" or "wise ruler."

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Raynor appears in the Domesday Book of 1086, a comprehensive record of landowners and properties compiled by order of William the Conqueror. The name is listed as "Reginald," reflecting its original Old English spelling.

The name Raynor experienced various spelling variations over the centuries, including Reyner, Rainer, Rayner, and Reynor, among others. These variations were often influenced by regional dialects and scribal preferences in record-keeping.

In the 14th century, a notable figure bearing the name Raynor was Sir John Raynor, a prominent English knight who served under King Edward III during the Hundred Years' War. He was renowned for his military prowess and valor in battles against the French.

Another historical figure of note was William Raynor, a 16th-century English clergyman and scholar. He served as the Bishop of Norwich from 1536 to 1545 and played a significant role in the English Reformation.

Transitioning to the 17th century, John Raynor (1623-1677) was a renowned English mathematician and astronomer. He made important contributions to the field of navigation and authored several influential works on celestial mechanics.

In the 18th century, the name Raynor was associated with the village of Raynor Park in Yorkshire, England. This place name likely originated from an early landholder or prominent family bearing the surname Raynor in the region.

Moving forward to the 19th century, John Raynor (1797-1870) was a notable English architect who designed several iconic buildings, including St. Peter's Church in Nottingham and the Royal Pavilion in Brighton.

Throughout its history, the surname Raynor has been carried by individuals from various walks of life, including nobles, clergymen, scholars, and professionals. Its enduring presence across centuries bears witness to the rich tapestry of English history and culture.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Raynor

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

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 Raynor was:

Race/Ethnicity Percentage Total Occurrences
Non-Hispanic White Only 76.71% 5,960
Non-Hispanic Black Only 19.02% 1,478
Non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander Only 0.48% 37
Non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaskan Native 0.45% 35
Non-Hispanic of Two or More Races 1.56% 121
Hispanic Origin 1.79% 139

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 Raynor has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

2010 2000 Change (%)
White 76.71% 79.36% -3.40%
Black 19.02% 17.90% 6.07%
Asian and Pacific Islander 0.48% 0.32% 40.00%
American Indian and Alaskan Native 0.45% 0.43% 4.55%
Two or More Races 1.56% 1.18% 27.74%
Hispanic 1.79% 0.81% 75.38%

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 Raynor was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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"Raynor last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com. Accessed on November 22, 2024. http://namecensus.com/last-names/raynor-surname-popularity/.

"Raynor last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com, http://namecensus.com/last-names/raynor-surname-popularity/. Accessed 22 November, 2024

Raynor last name popularity, history, and meaning. NameCensus.com. Retrieved from http://namecensus.com/last-names/raynor-surname-popularity/.

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