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The name "Rayleigh" is Saxon in origin and is cognate to the German place name Rehlach of the same meaning. According to the English Place Names Society, "Rayleigh" derives from "raege", and "leah", meaning "Female roe-deer stream" or "she-goat stream". According to the Rayleigh Civic Society, "Roa" is a Saxon word for Roebuck and "Lea" a pasture probably for goats.
In any case, the connection with deer continued through the centuries. Lands around Rayleigh were used as royal hunting forests for many hundreds of years. A deer was included in the coat of arms of Rayleigh Urban District Council, and in the early 2000s, a new pub was named the "Roebuck".
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