Rabe
A surname that usually comes from the German word for a raven or crow.
The #7,450 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 69,040 Americans shares it.
Etymology
In German, rabe means 'raven' or 'crow,' and the surname most likely began as a nickname or descriptive byname for someone thought to resemble the bird in appearance or character. It may also have been adopted independently in different places from the common bird-name word. Some older writers also noted forms linked with other names such as Rabbit, but the clearest and most direct explanation for Rabe is the German bird word.
History
The name appears in English-language surname collections as a German surname, and it has also been borne by families in England for several centuries. Because 'raven' names were common in Germanic naming traditions, Rabe may have arisen more than once. Later bearers in English-speaking countries likely reflect both immigrant transmission and separate surname origins.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
Raven names were especially common in Germanic tradition because the raven was a strong symbolic bird in folklore and legend.
From the historical record
“RABE. Germ, rabe, a raven or crow. RABETT. See Rabbit. This ancient family, who have resided at Bramfield, co. Suffolk, for several centuries, claim a Nor- man descent. B.L.G. For the etymology see Rabbit. RABONE. The same as Rathbone, RABY. A township In Durham, famous for its castle ; also another township in”
— Patronymica Britannica: a dictionary of the family names of the United Kingdom