English
The surname 'Randolph' is of English origin. It is derived from the Germanic personal name composed of the elements 'rand' meaning 'rim', 'shield' and 'wold' meaning 'wolf'. This name was first introduced in to England by Scandinavian settlers in the Old Norman form 'Rannulfr', and was reinforced after the Conquest by the Norman form 'Randolf'. Public and Civil registry archive's confirm that the surname 'Randolph' and or it's variant's, date as far back as the thirteenth century were a 'Robert fil Ranulf', from the county of Lincolnshire, England, is recorded on the Hundred Rolls in 1273. The exact period of settlement in North America has not been definitely determined but data extracted from Historical archive's confirm that one of the first forefathers to bring this name to America was a certain 'Edward Fitz Randolph', from Hucknall, England. He emigrated to North America sailing from the Port of Plymouth in 1630, aged twenty-three, and settled at Scituate, Massachusetts, and afterwards moved to Barnstable, of which he was a co-founder. An American family bearing this name is descended from 'William Randolph', a planter and merchant from a Sussex family, who emigrated from Warwickshire to Virginia in 1673, He was forebear of 'Thomas Jefferson', and 'Robert E. Lee. Randolph', who had seven sons, each of whom inherited an estate, the name of which was sometimes added to their own, such as 'Sir John Randolph of Tazewell'. His great grandsons included 'Edmund Randolph', first attorney general of the United States and one of the framers of the American Constitution, and the diplomat and statesman 'John Randolph of Roanoke', who served as United states minister to Russia. Today, 'Randolph' is the 'Six Hundred and Eightieth' most common surname in North America.