The surname ‘Rankin’ is of Scottish, and Northern Irish origin. It is derived from the mediaeval given name ‘Rankin’, a diminutive of the name ‘Rind’, with the hypocoristic suffix ‘-kin’ (of Low German or Dutch origin). Public and Civil registry archive’s confirm that the surname ‘Rankin’ and or it’s variant’s, date as far back as the thirteenth century were a ‘Gilbert Reynkyn’, from the county of Kent, England, is recorded on the Hundred Rolls in twelve hundred and seventy-three. 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 ‘Joseph Rankin’, He emigrated from Ireland to North America in 1730-31, and settled at Guildford, Connecticut. ‘Frederick Wharton Rankin’, of Lexington, Kentucky, was a Colonel serving with the Medical Corps, United States Army, and fought in the Great War. He was a Major in the Medical corps, attached to the First Air Core Fourth and Twenty-sixth division. Today, ‘Rankin’ is the ‘One thousandth and seve…
Coat of arms: Or, a cinquefoil gules, in chief a batt…