Name of the Week

'Everybody loves Raymond'
with his comfy retro style and Norman ancestry. 

 

Origin:

Raymond is a Germanic name derived from the Frankish Raginmund. It was composed of two prevalent name-elements.  The first, ragin, translates roughly as "might" or "counsel, advice," and is also found in the names Reginald, Ramirus and Rembrant. The second element is mund, a common Germanic, Old English and Norse name element, meaning "protection." The original meaning was more "guardian, handler," ultimately derived from the Proto-Indo-European *man- "hand." The spelling of Raymond comes via the Old French forms Raimond, Raimund and Reimond.

Usage:

As with so many well established Germanic names, Raymond was brought over to Britain by the Normans. It is recorded in the Latinised form Raimundus in the Domesday Book of 1086 in Essex. The same source also cites a Giraldus Reimundus, demonstrating use as a surname from an early date. Indeed, much of our evidence for Raymond's use in the Middle Ages comes from its use as a surname; Raymond, Raymont, Rayment and Raiment survive as surname forms today.  As a first name, Raymond was not especially popular in Britain during the Middle Ages, but it was consistently in use. In variant forms the name was also used in France, Germany and across the Continent in general. It was particularly notable in Spain and among European nobility such as the Counts of Toulouse, of which there were seven Raymonds from the 9th to the 13th century, and two Princes of Antioch.  Raymond continued in modest use from the 15th century onwards, but it wasn't until the 19th century that the name became popular. The Victorians loved all things medieval so Norman Raymond fitted nicely. UK census records show the steady increase of males named Raymond throughout the 19th century: 1841: 221 1861: 549 1881: 1,591 1901: 7,035 In 1880 in England and Wales, Raymond ranked #144 with 115 births. It rose to #101 (258 births) in 1890 and had entered the Top 100 at #89 (478 births) in 1900. From that point on, Raymond shot up the rankings, finally peaking in the 1930s and 1940s. It saw a gradual decline from that point on, leaving the Top 100 by the 1980s: 1904: #73  1914: #51 1924: #28 1934: #15 1944: #17 1954: #26 1964: #45 1974: #85 Since 1996, Raymond has ranked within the #300 and #800 mark. It was at a high point in 1996 when it ranked #312 (78 births); its lowest birth count was #703 (33 births) in 2004. In 2012, Raymond ranked #682 with 49 births, an increase of 9 births since 2011.  In Scotland, Raymond failed to make the Top 100 in 1900, though it was #29 by 1950 and #58 in 1975. Since 2005, the name has had a Scottish birth count of between 7 and 2. In 2012 Raymond ranked #669 with 3 births.

Famous Bearers:

History:  * Raymond IV, Count of Toulouse (c.1041–1105), one of the leaders of the First Crusade. * Saint Raymond of Penyafort (c.1175–1275), Catalan Dominican friar who compiled canon laws. He is regarded as the patron saint of lawyers.  * Saint Raymond Nonnatus (1204–1240), Catalan priest who ransomed Christian captives from the Moors. He is regarded as the patron saint of childbirth, midwives, children and pregnant women. * Sir Raymond Unwin (1863–1940), English architect and town planner. * Raymond Thornton Chandler (1888–1959), American author.  * Raymond Davis, Jr. (1914–2006), chemist and Nobel Prize winner in Physics.  Contemporary: * Raymond Blanc (b. 1949), French chef.

Variants:

Ramón (Spanish), Raimondo (Italian), Raimundo (Portuguese), Reamonn (Irish), Raimund (Dutch, German)

Pronunciation:

RAY-mənd [key]

Possible diminutives:

Ray, Red. Rade, Remy

Sibling Names:

Susannah     Lilian     Cicely     Josephine     Matilda     Wilhemina    Leonard     Edwin     Bertram     Franklin     Stanley    Quentin

Name Lists:

Resurrected Retro   Victorian Darlings   Names from Tennyson

 

If you like Raymond you may also like:   Edmund, Royston, Desmond, Leopold, Ralph, Walter, Ernest, Robert, Reginald, Gilbert

 

Thanks to Pia for requesting Raymond.