Släkthistoria för Rafton
Rafton Vad efternamn betyder
of uncertain origin. In N England it might be a pronunciation of Raughton with Middle English [χt] spelled -ght- becoming [t] or [ft]. Raughton is a Cumb place-name recorded as Rachtona (1188) Racton' (1250) Raughton (1292) and Rawton (1580) of which the second element is Old English tūn ‘farmstead’ and the first element doubtful perhaps Old English ragu ‘moss lichen’. It gave rise to a medieval surname spelled Ragton' (1182 1279) Rachton' (1186 1279) and Ragheton (1278) but whether this surname survived into modern times is unknown and the current name in N England may be that in (2) by migration. in S England perhaps from Racton (Sussex) near Compton where the earliest example of Rafton has been found. Compare Gilbert de Raketon 1332 in Subsidy Rolls (Eartham Sussex) and Adam Racton 1571 in IGI (Walberton Sussex). Racton which is recorded as Racheton (1086) Rakentune (1121) and Raketon (1316) is from Old English tūn ‘farmstead’ with an uncertain first element perhaps an Old English personal name *Raca or the Old English word hraca ‘throat’ used topographically to mean ‘pass rough track’. The change from Rak- to Raf- could have been via an unrecorded intermediate form Ragheton but evidence is lacking.
Källa: The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Family Names in Britain, 2021