The family name 'Raw', said to have Norse origins, was brought to the British Isles in the 9th century, and out to the colonies from there. In Ireland the name is said to derive from the Gaelic MacGraith or Mag Raith with the prefix dropped over time, or the name morphing into such variations as MacGraw. There are many 'Raws' in England, in the Scarborough and Whitby areas of North Yorkshire.
