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Dictionary of Medieval Names
from European Sources

Rayner m. Proto-Germanic *ragin 'counsel, might' + Old English here, Old High German heri 'host, army'.

The name of an 11th C Italian saint and two 14th C princes of Monaco.

Withycombe s.n. Rayner notes that the Old English cognate Regenhere was "not much used". Post 12t-century examples from England generally represent the Germanic name imported from the continent, and not the native Old English name surviving the Conquest.

Austria
Latin
c1030 Reginher (nom) UrkStyria 46; c1115 Reginher (nom) ibid. 102; c1120 Reinher (nom) ibid. 107
Belgium
Latin
1120 Rainneri (gen) CartStBert 9
Dutch
1597x1598 Reynier BoonenGes p. 330, Reyniers (gen) ibid. p. 335
Brabant
Latin
1312 Reineri (gen) JeanIII p. 44, Renerus (nom) ibid. p. 19, Reynerus (nom) ibid. p. 17
England
Latin
1185x1186 Reinerus (nom) PR-XXXVI p. 14; 1189 Reiner (nom) GASurv p. 172; 1222 Reignerus (nom) StPaulDom p. 86, Reinerus (nom) ibid. p. 58
Dutch
1577 Reynier AuFr Franssz; 1588 Reijnier ibid. Drael; 1590 Renier ibid. Drael; 1591 Renier ibid. Anyeke; 1593 Renier ibid. Drael; 1594 Reynier ibid. Crae; 1597 Renier ibid. Drael
Estonia
Middle Low German
1436 Reiner BbRT p. 358
France
Latin
c823 Ragenarius (nom) irminon-vol2 52, CE; 833 Regenario (abl) CartRed VIII; 833x834 Ragenario (abl) ibid. IX; 834 Raginarius (nom) ibid. II; 10thC Rainerii (gen) St-Bernard-Romans no. 114; c11thC Rainerio (abl) ibid. no. 91; 11thC Ranerio (abl) ibid. no. 112; 1029x1033 Rainerus (nom) CartStPC XII; 1030 Rainerius (nom) StVdM-II 713; 1070 Rainerius (nom) ibid. 740; 1082x1087 Rainerius (nom) St-Bernard-Romans no. 120; 1101x1129 Rainerius (nom) CartStPC XXII, Renerius (nom) ibid. XXII; a1114 Rainerius (nom) ibid. XXXI; 1131 Rainerius (nom) CartNDSaintes XXIII; 1135 Rainerius (nom) clairvaux-12thc 7; 1138x1148 Rainerus (nom) ibid. 21; 1143x1146 Rainerius (nom) ibid. 12; 1147 Rainerii (nom) ibid. 15, Rainerio (abl) ibid. 14, Rainerius (nom) ibid. 14; 1147x1153 Rainerius (nom) ibid. 26; 1147x1162 Rainerius (nom) ibid. 42, Raynerius (nom) ibid. 45; 1158 Reinerius (nom) ibid. 33; 1162 Raineri (gen) CartNDdOurscamp LXIII; 1163 Renerii (gen) clairvaux-12thc 99; 1163–64 Reinerus (nom) ibid. 106; 1164 Reinerii (gen) ibid. 120, Reinerus (nom) ibid. 120; 1170 Raineri (gen) ibid. 137; 1171 Rainerius (nom) ibid. 142; 1172 Raynerius (nom) ibid. 148; c1175–1180 Regnarius (nom) ChartCaen2 p. 67; 1179 Rainerio (abl) clairvaux-12thc 173, Rainerius (nom) ibid. 178, Rainero (abl) ibid. 172, Rainerus (nom) ibid. 169, Regnerius (nom) ibid. 181, Regnerus (nom) ibid. 178; 1180 Reineri (gen) CartNDdOurscamp CXLVII, Reinero (abl) RotScaNor p. 28, Reinerus (nom) ibid. p. 27; 1190 Renerus (nom) CartNDdOurscamp CIII; 1194 Ranere (abl) ibid. CLVI; 1205 Reneri (gen) ibid. LXXXV; 1219 Reynerius (nom) CartAub; 1258 Renerus (nom) ArrestReg-volI XXVI, Candlemas; 1292 Renerius (nom) MemBret-I 1103; 1301 Reneri (gen) MemPic-vol17 p. 199; 1304 Reneri (gen) CartNDdOurscamp CXXXVI; 1309 Renerii (gen) HistHdVParis no. 1; 1376 Raynerii (gen) St-Bernard-Romans 383; 1378 Reneri (gen) hanquetvol1 180, Renerii (gen) ibid. 773, Renerio (dat) ibid. 196, Renero (dat) ibid. 812, Reyneri (gen) ibid. 177, Reynerio (dat) ibid. 1570, Reynero (dat) ibid. 109; 1579 Renierum (acc) FlorLyon p. 39; 1585 Renierio (dat) ibid. p. 40
Old French
1292 Renier 1292paris p. 2; 1296 Renier paris1296 p. 14; 1301 Renier (obl) MemPic-vol17 p. 234, Reniers (nom) ibid. p. 276; 1313 Renier Paris1313 p. 10
Middle French
1388 Regnier thierry; 1392 Regnier MemBret-II col. 612; 1418 Reniez DdB1418 p. 211; 1421 Regnier favier 332; 1579 Reinery FlorLyon p. 40
Germany
Latin
822x875 Raginheri (nom) TradCorb §171; 1086 Reinerus (nom) quix-vol1 61; 1108 Reinero (abl) ibid. 85; 1173 Reinerus (nom) ibid. 81; 1180 Reinerus (nom) ibid. 34; 1189 Reinerus (nom) ibid. 82; 1192 Reinerus (nom) ibid. 40; 1196 Reinero (abl) ibid. 68; 1197 Reinerus (nom) ibid. 83; 1206 Reinero (abl) ibid. 70, Reinerus (nom) ibid. 70; 1210 Reinnero (abl) CDL-1.1.1 IV; 1216 Rainerius (nom) hennes-vol1 25, Ranerii (gen) ibid. 25; 1219 Reinerus (nom) ibid. 42; 1223 Reinerus (nom) quix-vol2 136; 1249 Reinerus (nom) hennes-vol1 131; 1273x1291 Reinheri (gen) UrkRott-1 32, Reinhero (dat) ibid. 32; 1401 Renero (dat) HD1401 no. 134
Ireland
Latin
fin12thC Reiner (nom) MunDocIr III, p. 5; 1489 Renerium (acc) RegOct 416
Italy
Latin
1099 Raineri (gen) RCI-Cam1 624; 1100 Ragineri (gen) ibid. 626, Raginerio (dat) ibid. 626, Ragninerio (abl) ibid. 626, Raynerius (nom) ibid. 631; 1105 Rainerii (gen) UrkStyria 96; 1109 Rainarii (nom) ibid. 97; 1198 Rainerio (abl) ChStBo1 III; 1220 Rainerus (nom) hennes-vol1 49; 1265x1339 Rayneri (gen) BBC-Berg 246; 1285 Ranerii (gen) Perugia1285 p. 154; 1304 Raynerii (gen) AnnMin6 XII, Raynerio (abl) ibid. XII, Raynerius (nom) ibid. XII; 1310 Raynerio (dat) MonRav-2 CCCL, Raynerius (nom) ibid. CCCL; 1402 Raynerio (abl) CatTir1 15; 1417 Raynerii (gen) ibid. 48; 1527 Rainerius (nom) Rome1527 p. 84
1285 Ranutii (gen) Perugia1285 p. 154; 1326 Rayneroti (gen) Friuli-14thC no. 437
The Netherlands
Latin
1277 Reinerus (nom) GesOIJ-1 p. 295; 1288 Reynerus (nom) ibid. p. 296; 1311 Reijnheri (gen) ibid. p. 298; 1324 Reijnheri (gen) ibid. p. 299; 1349 Reijneri (gen) ibid. p. 300, Reijnerus (nom) ibid. p. 300; 1361 Reyneri (gen) ibid. p. 302; 1364 Reijneri (gen) ibid. p. 302; 1369 Reijneri (gen) ibid. p. 303; 1373 reijneri (gen) ibid. p. 303; 1387 Reijneri (gen) ibid. p. 304
Middle Dutch
1376 Reijnerss (gen) GesOIJ-4 p. 186; 1384 Reijner (nom) ibid. p. 186
Cite as: G. Grim, J. Uckelman, S.L. Uckelman. "Rayner". In S.L. Uckelman, ed. The Dictionary of Medieval Names from European Sources, Edition 2017, no. 1. http://dmnes.org/2017/1/name/Rayner.