Raven
Usually a nickname or ancient personal name from the bird raven, and sometimes a place-based surname from Raven Hill or Raven Wood.
The #9,741 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 92,800 Americans shares it.
Etymology
This surname is commonly traced to the raven, the dark bird whose name appears in Old English as hreefn and in Old Norse as hrafn. In early medieval usage it could begin as a nickname, a sign-name, or a personal name, especially in Anglo-Scandinavian areas. Some bearers may instead come from local names such as Raven Hill or Raven Shaw, which mean a hill or wood associated with ravens.
History
The name is early in both England and Scandinavia, and historical writers note it as a personal name in medieval records, including Scandinavian forms such as Rafn. In England, it also appears in place-name surnames, especially in northern areas with strong Norse influence. Later surname use broadened from personal-name descent to straightforward hereditary family names.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
Nineteenth-century writers specifically linked the raven with Danish identity, noting its use on the Danish standard in early medieval tradition.
From the historical record
“and Ravechetel, i.e. ' Raven- Kettle.' RAVEN (Eng. and Scand.) an ancient English and Scandinavian pers. name ; a nick- name and sign-name from the Raven [O.E. hreefn = O.N. hrctfti] The name occurs in the form Ravan in 'The Oldest-Known List of Scandinavian Names' (Yorks, loth cent.) — Saga-Book of the Viking…”
— Surnames of the United Kingdom: a concise etymological dictionary (2 vols in 1)