This very unusual surname is apparently first recorded in England in 1628, when Thomas Scranscher as spelt married Judith Cooper on February 10th 1628 at St Dunstans in the East, Stepney, city of London. At that point we thought that it was of Germanic or possibly Dutch origins, but further research found the recording of John Scrancour, who was married to the exotically named or at least recorded, Spake Mane. This was at the famous church of St Martins in the Field, Westminster, on June14th 1706. However an examination in depth of both Germanic and French directories of surnames failed to provide any proven explanation for either spelling. It is possible (anything is possible with surnames) that the derivation is from the early French word "rancoeur" meaning resentment, and found as a rare surname. An early surviving example being that of Pierre Rancour, christened at Caen, Normandy, on May 1st 1655. Another possiblity is locational from a place called Rancourt, presumably in the Ardennes, as that is where most recordings are to be found. An early recording from this source is that of Anne de Rancourt who married Jean Le Moine at Rumigny in the Ardennes on April 30th 1690. Over the centuries spelling has been at best erratic, and dialects very thick. This combined with religious strife, civil war and Revolution, particularly in France, created many "sounds like" spellings, some far removed from their original form.

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