Raxworthy

This rare and interesting surname is of Anglo-Saxon origin, and is a locational name from a so called "lost" village likely to have been situated in Somerset, suggested by the numerous recordings in that county. The derivation is from the Old English "Wrocc", which is a personal name associated with the Swedish word "vrak", a buzzard, and also having the meaning to strangle, probably originally given to a person who had some fancied resemblance to a bird of prey, and the Old English pre 7th Century "worthig", a homestead. The phenomenon of the "lost" village was generally a result of enforced land clearance in the 12th Century to make way for sheep pastures, as well as the more natural causes such as plague and war. Among the recordings in Somerset is the christening of one Joan Raxworthy on February 14th 1623 at Bridgewater. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of Elizabeth Rexworthie, (marriage to Symon Crossman), which was dated January 31st 1608, North Petherton, Somerset, during the reign of King James 1 of England and V1 of Scotland, 1603 - 1625. Surnames became necessary when governments introduced personal taxation. In England this was known as Poll Tax. Throughout the centuries, surnames in every country have continued to "develop" often leading to astonishing variants of the original spelling.