Raymond

The forename Raymond is perhaps most commonly seen in anglophone circles in the abbreviated form Ray. It existed in England from 1066, where a Giraldus Reimundus is recorded as seving with the |the Conqueropr. Raymond has been used as a surname as well as a first name ever since, though never in great numbers.

Etymological note: Rsymond is derived from an Old French name, Raimund, of Germanic origin, from ragin ‘advice, decision’ + mund ‘protector’. This was adopted by the Normans and introduced by them to Britain. (Hanks, Hardcastle and Hodges, 2006). In other languages, and at other tiomes,it has had many forms. Now, it is Raimundo in Italian, Ramón in Spanish, and occasionally Redmond in English. Itr has been spelled Raimund, Reimund, etc.

Users of AWE may come across some historical 'Raymond's:

• Several Counts of the County of Tripoli (11109-1189), their forebears as Counts of Toulouse and successors, Princes of Antioch-Tripoli, were named Raymond.
• Three saint Raymonds are still venerated:
  • St Raymond of Penyafort, or Sant Ramon de Penyafort, (c. 1175–1275), was a distinguished canon lawyer who drew up the Decretals of Gregory IX, published in 1234, the standard compendium of canon laws for 680 years
  • Saint Raymond Nonnatus (1204–1240)

• • Saint Raymond of Toulouse (c.1041 or 1042-1105), also known as Raymond Gayrard,