Raney
A surname that usually developed as a spelling of Rainey/Reaney, and may ultimately relate to a personal name or to a byname connected with song or poetry in some Irish traditions.
The #4,038 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 35,081 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Raney is generally treated as a spelling variant of Rainey, Reaney, and related forms. In English and Scots usage these names are often linked to the old personal name Rainy/Reiny, itself commonly connected with the medieval given name Ragin or Regin- forms, though the details are not always certain. In Irish usage, some writers also connect Rainey-type forms with Gaelic surnames involving rann, meaning “song” or “poem,” but that explanation is less secure for every bearer.
History
The historical excerpts show Raney being grouped with Rainey, Reaney, and Rainy, suggesting that the spelling was fluid and not standardized. In the United States the form became established as an independent-looking surname, while in older scholarship it is usually treated as one of several interchangeable spellings. The name is found in both English-language and Irish surname traditions, so different families may have different origins even when the spelling matches.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
19th-century surname writers often filed Raney right beside Rainey and Reaney, showing how little fixed spelling mattered in earlier records.
From the historical record
“6 RAijne, O RAijne, Ryney, Reyney, Reany, Rainey, Raney, etc. 6 RAi5ne, Rigney. 6 RAitfeeAjicA, Ravery.”
— Sloinnte Gaedheal is Gall: Irish names and surnames