Raynehart Genealogy and Raynehart Family History Information

Raynehart is a spelling variation of the German surname Reinhardt.

The Reinhardt surname is of pre 7th century Germanic origins. It is a German and Jewish surname that comes from a male personal name Raginhard, composed of the elements ragin, meaning counsel, with hard, hardy, brave, strong. This name was borne by the cunning fox in the popular medieval beast-tales, with the result that from the 13th century the Old French goupil, fox, was replaced by the modern form renard, fox. This suggests the surname may also have originated as a nickname for crafty individuals, referring to the fox's reputation for cunning.

Variations include: Reinhold, Rhinehart, Reinholdt, Reinholt, Reinolt, Reinold, Reinolds, Rhineholdt, Rhinehold, Rinehold, Reinholtz, Rinehart

Sources:

• http://www.houseofnames.com/xq/asp.c/qx/rhinehart-coat-arms.htm
• http://www.ancestry.com/facts/rinehart-family-history.ashx
• http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~tqpeiffer/Documen...