The Roarty Family Name

Roarty is best understood together with Rafferty: both are Irish spellings of a single family name. Read literally, Roarty points to “Descendant of Rabhartach ("flood tide")”. Before spelling was fixed, Rafferty was also written Roarty. Census takers and immigration officers often wrote what they heard.

Other spellings include O'Rafferty and Raverty.

Heraldry is personal: arms associated with the Rafferty surname were borne by specific families, and sharing the name does not mean sharing the blazon. Research your Roarty family history with a full surname report and painted coat of arms.