This is in response to your question of how many people know where their name comes from.
Well the first recorded Rakes was John Rakes from England and he was noted as being the first person to start a Sunday School. Rakes was spelled Raikes at that time which was around 1750. The first recorded Rakes in the US, and as far as I know, the first in Virginia was Anthony Rakes. Records indiacte Anthony was living in what is now the Franklin and Henry County areas of Virginia around 1770. Anthony Rakes was my Great, Great, Great, Great,Great Grandfather. He had 10 sons, one of whom was Chesley who in turn had a son named Chesley Aaron. Chesley Aaron had several sons, one of whom was named Aaron DeHeart my Great Great Grandfather. Aaron DeHeart moved to Carroll County then to Buchanan and finally to Dickenson County. He had 13 children, 10 boys and 3 girls. One of the boys was Charles Greenvill who had a daughter named Dora Lucinda who had a son named Bernard Rakes, my father. Then there came me and my son Cole.....Cole being the 9th generation Rakes in the US.
Now I will ask the same question you asked.......Does everyone know where their name comes from and if so I challenge you to be so informed as to be able to account for 9 generations of that name.
Randy
Posted on May 5, 2008, 2:43 PM from IP address 64.4.124.33