Surname Raikes - Meaning and Origin
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Raikes: What does the surname Raikes mean?
The last name Raikes is of Anglo-Saxon origin. Its earliest known use was to describe someone who lived in or near a clearing of wild animals. Its version of the moniker "rake" describes the hunter or farmer who would go into the woods to hunt or clear land for farming. The last name Raikes was also used to identify a minister of the Church of England, or could also signify nobility.
The surname Raikes likely first appeared in England in the 14th century. It is still quite common in England today, and can also be found in other regions of the United Kingdom, such as Scotland and Ireland. It can also be found in the United States, where it was brought by immigrants in the 17th and 18th centuries.
The surname likely found two distinct paths during the 16th century - the clerical path through the Anglican Church, and the business path. The Raikes were divided between worshipers of the Church of England and merchants. Other path branches included lodging, building materials, shipping, banking and antiques. From the clerical branch, family names were often derived, and used in many documents, such as wills.
In the modern world, the last name Raikes carries with it a sense of prestige. It is thought of as a stable, well-respected name, passed through generations, with each generation retaining the sense of duty and character that the old forefathers had in creating a better world for their descendants.
Order DNA origin analysisRaikes: Where does the name Raikes come from?
The last name Raikes is most common today in the United Kingdom and Australia. The surname first appears in English records from the medieval period and it is believed to have originated in the region of Cheshire in northern England, though some sources suggest it may have descended from a Norse Viking family.
In the United Kingdom, it is most common in parts of the West Midlands region, including Staffordshire, Shropshire and Cheshire. It can also be found in counties such as Lancashire, Yorkshire, and Cumbria. It is believed to be a relatively uncommon surname in England and Wales, with an estimated 9,500 people having the name as of the 2018 British Census.
In Australia, meanwhile, the Raikes name is more common, with an estimated 23,000 people having the surname down under according to the 2016 Australian census. It is most common in the state of Victoria, with other concentrations of the name in New South Wales, Queensland and the Australian Capital Territory. Some research indicates that the largest concentration of Raikes in Australia is in the city of Melbourne.
The name Raikes can also be found in the United States and Canada, as well as throughout parts of Europe. It is rarer outside of the English-speaking world, though some individuals with the surname can be found in countries such as The Netherlands, Germany, South Africa, India and more.
Variations of the surname Raikes
The surname Raikes can have several different variants, spellings and surnames of the same origin. Raikes is most likely derived from the old English rīc, meaning ‘power’, ‘rule’ or ‘wealth’, and the Middle English ryke, meaning ‘rich’.
Common variants of the surname Raikes include Reakes, Reece, Rees, Reeses, Reiss, and Rice.
Variants of Raikes that have been recorded in medieval documents include Raeker, Raekers, Raikers, Raikes, Rayke, and Raykes.
The spelling of Raikes can vary due to scribes often using different spellings when making copies of the same document. Spellings of the surname Raikes that have been recorded in historical documents include Reakys, Reakish, Reakiss, Reakes, Reakesh, Reakish, Reaks, Reasse, Rees, Reesce, Reeses, Reess, Reice, Reiss, Res, Resh, Rex, Rexe, Rheice, Rheiss, Rice, Ryce, Ryche, Rykes, and Ryss.
Surnames related to Raikes include those derived from personal names, such as Reykes, Raymakers, and Raymekers, and other prefixes, such as deReykis, atteRikes, and vanderReycken.
Other surnames that may be related to Raikes are those which have similar spellings or involve a similar sound such as Reakes, Reigks, Rycys, Rycherts, etc. It is possible that these surnames are not related to the surname Raikes. However, there is a possibility that the surnames are related and can trace back to a common ancestor.
Famous people with the name Raikes
- Tom Raikes: British journalist, public policy advisor, and entrepreneur. He is the Commissioner of the UK Commission for Employment and Skills and a Special Advisor to the Prime Minister.
- Robert Raikes: English philanthropist, founder of the Sunday school movement in 1780.
- Robbin Raikes: American visual artist and independent filmmaker, known primarily for his five-minute films and corporate video productions.
- Richard Raikes: English civil servant, who held a variety of government appointments including Director-General of the BBC and Ambassador to Norway.
- John Raikes: English writer and novelist whose works were published in the early twentieth century. He wrote The Great Secret among many others.
- William Raikes: English actor, best known for his roles in productions such as Those Magnificent Men in their Flying Machines and the television series Colditz.
- Sir John Stanley Raikes: British Army officer who reached the rank of General. He served in World Wars I and II and received the highly prestigious Order of the Bath.
- Richard Raikes: son of Robert Raikes, and a gentleman of course. He was a wine merchant, a local church churchwarden, and a strong advocate for education, helping to expand Sunday schools and other educational initiatives.
- Simon Raikes: British civil servant and public servant. He served as the Permanent Secretary of the Department of Culture, Media and Sport from June 2010 to June 2015.
- Sir Roger Raikes: English lawyer and politician who served as Member of Parliament for Walsall. He authored a number of books on subjects such as history, political advice, and international relations.