Raymond Coat of Arms, Family Crest and Raymond Family History

Raymond Family History

The ancient origin of the name Raymond was found in the irishsurnames.com archives. The name Raymond is usually of English descent and is derived from old German words meaning 'wise protector'. It is found in many ancient manuscripts in England including the 'Hundred Rolls' of the year 1273 where a Richard Reimund and a Robert Reimund, both of County Cambridgeshire, were recorded. A Philip Reymond of County Somerset was recorded in 'Kirby's Quest' during the reign of Edward III. Names were recorded in these ancient documents to make it easier for their overlords to collect taxes and to keep a record of the population at any given time. When the overlords acquired lands by either force or as gifts from their rulers, they created charters of ownership for themselves and their vassals.

In Ireland this name and its variants were introduced into Ulster Province by settlers who arrived from England and Scotland, especially during the seventeenth century. During the 'Plantations of Ireland' in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries Ireland was colonized by the English Crown with this period marking the end of Gaelic supremacy in Ireland. This period brought an influx of settlers into the country but, unlike the earlier Anglo-Norman invasion of the twelfth century that resulted in a full integration into Irish society of the new arrivals, the same never occurred with the Ulster Planters who maintained their own distinct identity.

Raymond can also be a variant of the Irish name Redmond, especially in Counties Cork and Kerry. The Raymond family crest (or coat of arms) came into existence many centuries ago. The process of creating these coats of arms began as early as the eleventh century although a form of Proto-Heraldry may have existed in some countries prior to this, including Ireland. The new more formalized art of Heraldry made it possible for families and even individual family members to have their very own family crest, coat of arms, including Raymond descendants.