This surname is derived from a nickname. 'the roe,' a Scottish form. North English ra; Anglo-Saxon rah; v. Ray and Roebuck.

This surname is derived from a geographical locality. 'at the ree.' I do not know what Ree means. One of my entries refers manifestly to Rye, a town in Sussex. Lower says, 'La Rie, meaning a bank, is a very common name of localities in Normandy' (Patronymica Britannica). It is not to be confounded with the Cumberland Reay, or Scotch Rae, which see.

Philip ad Ree, Bedfordshire, 1273. Hundred Rolls.

Robert de Ree, Sussex, ibid.

Ralph de Ree, Salop, ibid.

John atte Ree. Close Rolls, 3 Edward IV.

1646. Baptised — Robart, s. Robart Re: St. Michael, Cornhill.

Rae is an old surname in Dumfriesshire, possibly of local origin, and Raes were numerously represented in Dornock in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries. "Like other Borderers the Raes seem to have been troublesome and contumacious, so that 'indictati et non comperentes' is in most cases the sole record in answer to the proceedings of the criminal court against them" (PSAS., XXIII, p. 46). Robert Raa, mason, witnessed a charte. to the Abbey of Culross, c. 1231 (ibid., LX p. 72), and Thomas Ra was witness in Glasgow, c. 1290 (REG., p. 200). Robert Ra, burgess of Stirling, witnessed a charter of lands of Dunipas, c. 1296-1300 (Laing, 18), and William Raa had a pension in 1329 (Stodart, II, p. 368). Robert Raa was juror on inquest at Roxbergh on land in Teuidale, 1360 (Bain, IV, 50), William Raa, bishop of Glasgow, died 1367 (REG., p. xxxviii), and Jacobus Ra or Raa held land in Clauchhope, Dumfries, 1376 (RHM., I, p. lii; II, p. 16). Thomas Raa of Scotland petitioned in 1404 for safe conduct to carry away his goods which had been captured at sea by Englishmen (Bain, IV, 649), Schir Water Ra was notary and parson of Garuald, 1415-34 (REG., 325; LCD., p. 249), William Raa, presbyter of Glasgow, 1440 (REG., 344), and Wil Ra, myllar of Cruok, 1451 (REB., I, 177). Rany Ra was on assize in Aberdeen, 1446 (REA., I, p. 245), William Ra or Raa was cellarer of Neubotle Abbey, 1458 (Neubotle, p. 245-246), and Alexander Ra had a charter of land in Edinburgh, 1468 (RD., p. 368). James Raa and ohn Ray were witnesses in Perth, 1546 (Rollok, 10, 13). A family of this name were prominent in Edinbergh in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries and gave name to Rae's Close at head of the Canongate. As Dr. John Rae, Arctic explorer, was a Gael born in Orkney, where his father had settled, he may have been from (Mac)rae, which see. See also Ray.

1 Dweller by a Stream or Channel [Dialectal English and Scot. ree: prob. Dialectal French rieu (Old French riu, French ru), a stream, gutter—L.Latin riu-(u)s, Latin riv-us, a stream, channel; but not imposs. a weak form of Old English ríþe, a rivulet] 2 Dweller at a (Walled) Animal- Enclosure [Dialectal English and Scot. ree, a walled or banked enclosure for sheep, etc.: perh. from the Northern French rie, a bank; apparently a weak deriv. of Latin ripa, a bank: hardly from the French local riez (Low Latin riesa), waste or uncultivated land] Philip ad Ree.—Hundred Rolls See Rea and Rye.

(Scottish, English) Variants of Ray, q.v.

Either the Gaelic Mac Rae, deprived of its prefix; or rae, the Scottish form of roe, a deer. Ra, probably with the latter meaning, is found in Anglo-Saxon times, as a Christian name.