Project Requirements

The RASKIN surname project is open to anyone who has a Raskin ancestor anywhere in their background. Project requirements are as follows:

• Males having the Raskin surname in their paternal line are asked to take the Y-DNA test (mtDNA test if desired). The Family Finder test is highly recommended.
• Males and females who have a Raskin ancestor are asked to take the Family Finder test.

Surname History

The Raskin surname has been found to have multiple meanings and origins, depending where our ancestral lines came from:

• Descendant of Rachel (derived from the Yiddish nickname Raske), found among the Jewish eastern Ashkenazi population. Note that surname usage in this population does not have a long history.
• Pet form of the name Erasmus, found in western Europe in the Netherlands and Belgium.

A few Raskin families from eastern Europe had traditions of Spanish origins. It is not known if these all relate to the male line and if these families are therefore related.

If this is of interest to you, please feel free to contact me.