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Raymond is a male given name. It was borrowed into English from French (older French spellings were Reimund^[1] and Raimund,^[2] whereas the modern English and French spellings are identical). It originated as the Germanic Raginmund or Reginmund.^[1] "Ragin" (Old German) and "regin" (Gothic) meant "counsel."^[3] The Old High German "mund" originally meant "hand,"^[4] but came to mean "protection."^[5] This etymology suggests that the name originated in the Early Middle Ages.

Despite the German and French origins of the English name, some of its early uses in English documents appear in Latinized form. As a surname, its first recorded appearance in Britain appeared in 1086, during the reign of William the Conqueror, in the Domesday Book, with a reference to Giraldus Reimundus.^[6]

The most commonly used names for baby boys based on "ragin" in 2009 were, in descending order, Raymond, Ramiro, Rayner, Rein, Reingard, Reynard, and Reynold.^[7] Its many other variants include Raiment, Raimo, Raimond, Raimondi, Raimondo, Raimund, Raimundo, Ramon, Ramón, Ramond, Ramondelli, Ramondenc, Ramondi, Ramondini, Ramondino, Ramondo, Ramondou, Ramonenc, Ramonic, Ramundi, Rayment, Raymonenc, Raymonencq, Raymont, Raymund, Redmond, Redmonds, Reim, Reimund, Reinmund, Rémon, Rémond, Remondeau, Remondon, Rémont, Reymond, Rimondi, and Rimondini.^[8]

People[link]

Historical[link]

Aristocracy:

• Raymond I, Count of Toulouse (died 865)
• Raymond II, Count of Toulouse (died 924)
• Raymond III, Count of Toulouse (died 978)
• Raymond IV, Count of Toulouse (c. 1041 or 1042–1105)
• Raymond V, Count of Toulouse (1134–1198)
• Raymond VI, Count of Toulouse (1156–1222)
• Raymond VII, Count of Toulouse (1197–1249)
• Raymond II of Tripoli (c. 1115–1152), Count of Tripoli from 1137 to 1152
• Raymond III of Tripoli (c. 1142–1187), Count of Tripoli from 1152 to 1187
• Raymond-Roupen (died 1219), Prince of Antioch
• Raymond of Poitiers (c. 1115–1149), Prince of Antioch
• Raymond Roger Trencavel (1185–1209)
• Raymond of Burgundy (1070–1107), married to Queen Urraca of Castile

Saints:

• Raymond of Penyafort (c. 1175–1275), medieval canon lawyer
• Raymond Nonnatus (1204–1240), ransomer of hostages

Chronicler

• Raymond of Aguilers (1096–1099), chronicler of the First Crusade

Surname[link]

• Alex Raymond, comic strip artist
• Alfred John Raymond, mayor of Brisbane
• Allen Raymond, American political consultant
• Antonin Raymond (1888–1976), Czech architect
• Edward Burleson Raymond, foreman of the King Ranch and founder of Raymondville, Texas
• Eric S. Raymond, computer programmer
• Eugene Raymond, South African military commander
• Gary Raymond, British actor
• Harold "Tubby" Raymond, American college football coach
• Harry Raymond, English footballer
• Henry Jarvis Raymond, American journalist and politician; founder of The New York Times
• Jade Raymond (born 1974), Canadian video game producer and television personality
• Janice Raymond (model)
• Jonathan Raymond, American writer
• Lee Raymond, CEO of ExxonMobil, 1999–2005
• Lisa Raymond, American professional tennis player
• Mason Raymond, Canadian National Hockey League player
• Nathaniel Raymond, human rights investigator and anti-torture advocate
• Paul Raymond (publisher) (1925–2008), English pornographer
• Richard Raymond (pianist)
• Richard Raymond (Texas politician)
• Suze Raymond, Australian television presenter
• Thomas Lynch Raymond, mayor of Newark, New Jersey
• Tito Raymond, American bodybuilder
• Usher (entertainer) (born Usher Raymond, 1978), musician

Given name[link]

• Raymond Berry (born 1933), American former football player and member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame
• Raymond Bessone (1911–1992), British celebrity hairdresser known as 'Mr Teasy-Weasy'
• Raymond Blanc (born 1949), French chef
• Ray Bolger (born 1904), an American entertainer of stage and screen
• Raymond Briggs (born 1934), English illustrator, cartoonist, graphic novelist, and author
• Raymond Leo Burke, American prelate in the Roman Catholic Church
• Raymond Burr (1917–1993), Canadian actor
• Ray Carver (1938–1988), American short story writer and poet
• Raymond Cattell (1905–1998), psychologist
• Raymond Chandler (1888–1959), American writer
• Raymond Davis, Jr. (1914–2006), chemist and Nobel Prize winner in Physics
• Raymond Domenech (born 1952), French former football and national team manager
• Raymond E. Feist (born 1945), American writer, primarily of fantasy
• Raymond Ch'ien Kuo Fung (錢果豐，born 1952), a president of MTR and chairman of Hang Seng Bank in Hong Kong
• Raymond Gutierrez, Filipino host
• Raymond Ho (何鍾泰，born 1939), a member of the Legislative Council of Hong Kong (Legco)
• Raymond Kelly (born 1941), Commissioner of the New York Police Department
• Raymond van de Klundert, also known as Ray Kluun (born 1964), Dutch novelist
• Ray Kurzweil (born 1948), American author, inventor, and futurist
• Raymond Lahey (born 1940), former bishop of the diocese of Antigonish
• Raymond Lam (林峯，born 1979), Hong Kong singer and actor
• Raymond Loewy (1893–1986), industrial designer
• Raymond Massey (1896–1983), Canadian actor
• Raymond McCreesh, Irish republican hunger striker who died in 1981
• Raymond Murray (born 1913), US Marine Corps officer
• Raymond Pettibon (born 1957), American artist
• Raymond Queneau (1903–1976), French poet and novelist
• Raymond Scott (1908–1994), American composer, band leader, pianist, engineer, recording studio maverick, and inventor
• Raymond Smullyan (born 1919), American mathematician, concert pianist, logician, Taoist philosopher, and magician
• Raymond Washington (1953–1979), founder of the notorious street gang the Crips
• Raymond Williams (1921–1988), Welsh academic, novelist and critic
• Raymond Wong (born 1948), Hong Kong actor and film producer
• Raymond Wong (born 1975), Hong Kong actor

Fictional characters[link]

• Raymond Barone, main character in the television sitcom Everybody Loves Raymond
• Raymond Cocteau, mayor/governor/dictator of San Angeles in the 1990s movie Demolition Man
• Raymond Stantz, main character in the film Ghostbusters
• Mondo Browne (Raymond Browne), African-American killer in the HBO drama series Oz
• Dolphus Raymond, in the novel To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee

References[link]

See also[link]

• Ray (disambiguation)
• Raimond (disambiguation)

This page or section lists people that share the same given name. If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change that link to point directly to the intended article.

Brett Eldredge (born 1986) is an American country music singer signed to Atlantic Records Nashville. He is the cousin of Terry Eldredge of The Grascals.^[3]

Early life[link]

He was born in 1986 in Paris, Illinois. He is the son of Robin and Chris Eldredge, and has an older brother, Brice, and a cousin, Terry.

He went to school at the Paris Cooperative High School. There he played sports, such as basketball and football, and did many other activites. He starred in the muscial production of Honk!, as the Ugly duckling.

He went on to graduate from Paris High School and also earn a degree from Chicago's Elmhurst College.

Musical career[link]

Eldredge co-wrote the track "I Think I've Had Enough" for Gary Allan, who recorded it for his album Get Off on the Pain.^[4] Eldredge released his first single, "Raymond," on September 27, 2010. It debuted at number 52 on the Hot Country Songs charts dated for the week ending October 16, 2010.^[5] It peaked at number 23, followed by "It Ain't Gotta Be Love", which reached number 46.

Eldredge performed on the Grand Ole Opry for the first time on October 29, 2010.^[6]

Television career[link]

Eldredge has a web series called "Couch Sessions," where he does acoustic performances of his songs. He is also said to have a dating series coming up, Take Me Home Tonight.

Discography[link]

Studio albums[link]

Singles[link]

Music videos[link]

References[link]

External links[link]

• Official website

Everybody Loves Raymond is an American television sitcom, starring Ray Romano and Patricia Heaton. It originally ran on CBS from September 13, 1996 to May 16, 2005. Many of the situations from the show are based on the real-life experiences of Romano, creator/producer Phil Rosenthal and the show's writing staff. The main characters on the show are also loosely based on Romano's and Rosenthal's real-life family members.

The show reruns in syndication on different channels such as TBS, TV Land, and in most TV markets on local stations.^[1] From 2000 to 2007, KingWorld distributed the show for off-network syndication. In 2008, CBS Television Distribution took over King World's distribution, although its logo is retained on TBS. CBS only owns American syndication rights; ancillary rights are controlled by HBO and Warner Bros. Television (WBTV distributes the series outside the US in conjunction with HBO; while HBO Home Entertainment and Warner Home Video own DVD rights worldwide).

Show background[link]

The show revolves around the life of Italian-American Raymond Barone, a newspaper sportswriter for Newsday living with his family in Lynbrook, Long Island, New York. Whiny and flippant, Raymond does not take many things seriously, making jokes in nearly every situation, no matter how troubling or problematic, and constantly avoiding any sort of real responsibility.

Raymond and his wife Debra live with Ally and their identical twin sons Michael and Geoffrey (originally Gregory and Matthew in the pilot). The Barone children, played by real-life siblings, are regular characters but not a major focus. Raymond's parents, Marie and Frank, and brother Robert live across the street, and frequently make their presence known to the frustration of Raymond and Debra. Debra's frequent complaints about Raymond's family are a running joke. Out of the three unwanted visitors, Debra is particularly put off by Marie — an insulting, controlling and manipulative, though loving, woman who constantly criticizes and antagonizes Debra and coddles Ray, clearly favoring him over Robert, whose impending birth (as was established in the episode "Good Girls") drove her into marriage.

Raymond often finds himself in the middle of all the problems and arguments and proves himself incapable of taking any sort of stand, especially if there is the chance that it will bring down the wrath of his mother on him. His biggest nemesis is his brother Robert, who is insecure and jealous of Raymond for being the favorite son, as well as Raymond's relative success in both his professional and family life. Robert and Raymond are frequently seen fighting like children and picking on each other.

Raymond and Robert's father, Frank, is a very crass and obnoxious person, constantly making insulting and sarcastic remarks to everyone with whom he comes into contact. Largely an absentee father when the boys were growing up, Frank does not like to show his feelings, although, in an effort to make the character a bit more sympathetic, throughout the years several episodes were crafted to show that he actually does love his family. Frank is the only one who has the nerve to criticize Marie and often comes to Debra's defense from Marie's jibes.

Raymond and Debra constantly have marital disagreements, with Raymond preferring to watch sports television instead of talking with Debra about important matters. Like his father, Raymond works full time, leaving all the child-rearing responsibilities to Debra, and he has to be bullied into helping with any work around the house. A recurring theme on the show has them having a long interaction each night while in bed before going to sleep.

The Barones are established to be an amoral family of liars, as according to Marie in the episode "The Ball", "that's what holds us all together."

Cast and characters[link]

Characters[link]

• Raymond "Ray" Barone (Ray Romano) is a sportswriter for Newsday. He lives in Lynbrook, Long Island with his wife, Debra, and their three children Alexandra ("Ally"), Geoffrey, and Michael. His parents Frank and Marie and brother Robert live across the street. Raymond's character is loosely based on the real-life Romano, as he is the father of twin boys and a girl. Ray is emotionally unable to take any sort of stand on anything, especially if it brings him to any sort of conflict with his mother—the exception is when he protests about sex or some trivial matter. Raymond's mother favors him over Robert.

• Debra Barone (Patricia Heaton) is Raymond's wife, and the mother of Ally, Michael and Geoffrey. As a housewife, Debra claims she is frequently overworked, under-appreciated and stressed out; major reasons for this are not only because she has to deal with all the housework and her three rambunctious children with almost no assistance or support from Raymond—especially where his mother is concerned—but also because she must constantly put up with Raymond's intrusive family members. However on frequent occasions this frustration boils over and vented, primarily towards Raymond.
• Robert Barone (Brad Garrett) is Raymond's older brother and the son of Frank and Marie. Standing at 6' 8" 1/2, he is the tallest Barone, and has several quirks, the biggest being a nervous habit of touching food to his chin before eating it, once referred to as "crazy chin." Robert is a very caring uncle and still cares for Raymond, but is often jealous of the attention that Raymond receives from their mother, to the exclusion of his every achievement. Robert has been a New York City police officer for over 20 years, and attains the rank of lieutenant by the end of the series. His height, appearance and demeanor are the source of much humor. However, despite his huge size, Robert is a very skilled dancer.

• Marie Barone (Doris Roberts) is Raymond's mother, the wife of Frank, and the matriarch of the Barone family. Intrusive, controlling, manipulative and over-nurturing (at least with Raymond), she is a housewife who excels in cooking, cleaning, and other things dealing with keeping a good home and family. Marie and Frank live across the street from Raymond and Debra in Lynbrook, Long Island, New York which often irritates the latter couple.

• Francis "Frank" Barone (Peter Boyle) is Raymond's father and Marie's husband, a retired bookkeeper, and registered real estate agent, with a stubborn masculine personality. A war veteran, Frank served in the Korean War, which he frequently brings up, to the annoyance of everyone, especially his sons. He is a member of the Order of the Caribou Lodge, and was named Man of the Year by his lodge.

• Amy McDougall/Barone (Monica Horan) becomes Robert Barone's second wife (in season 7), and is the best friend of Debra, who introduces her to Robert. A recurring character for the first six seasons of the series, Amy became a main character (and Monica Horan was added to the main cast introductions) in season seven. Many issues cause Amy and Robert to break up in the first six seasons, with one being caused by Raymond. Quite often, Amy apologizes to someone even if she did not do anything wrong. She was born to very religious parents who, according to Amy, "wouldn't yell if they were on fire." (In real life, Horan is the wife of creator/executive producer Philip Rosenthal.)

• Alexandra "Ally" Barone (Madylin Sweeten), is the daughter of Raymond and Debra. She is the oldest of the Barone children. She is not seen much, even though she is credited as the main cast. She is said to be a better cook than her mother, and maybe someday her grandmother. (In real life Sawyer and Sullivan are real brothers to Madylin Sweeten.)

• Geoffrey Barone (Sawyer Sweeten) and Michael Barone (Sullivan Sweeten) are twin sons of Raymond and Debra. Their original names (in the pilot) were Gregory and Matthew. (In real life Sawyer and Sullivan are real brothers to Madylin Sweeten.)

Episodes[link]

DVD releases[link]

HBO Home Video has released the Complete Series of Everybody Loves Raymond on DVD in Regions 1, 2 and 4. Region 4 Complete Box Set was released on August 13, 2008. In Australia, the first five seasons were re-released in 2006 in slimmer packaging (originals were wide spine cases). Also some were released with a cardboard slip cover. Also, in North America, the first two seasons were each re-released in 2010 in standard keep cases with cardboard slipcovers in a double-season pack. It is unknown whether or not they will be sold individually like this. Also, in 2012, the sixth and seventh season two-pack was reissued in the keep case packaging. It is also unknown whether or not the remaining seasons will be reissued in the slimmer packaging.