The Rabnott family is an old wizarding family known primarily for their historical contribution to the sport of competitive Duelling. Their name is immortalised in the title of the Rabnott Cup, a prestigious prize awarded to the winner of a major Duelling Competition, which was named after the family provided the golden cauldron that serves as the trophy.
The legacy of the Rabnott family is documented in the personal commentary of Albus Dumbledore within his edition of The Tales of Beedle the Bard, specifically in his notes on “The Fountain of Fair Fortune”. Originally, a popular Duelling Competition awarded its champion a miniature replica of the Fountain of Fair Fortune. Over time, this competition was discontinued and the original prize was lost. When the event was revived in the fifteenth century, a new prize was required. The Rabnott family stepped forward and offered a large, ornate golden cauldron to be presented to the victor. This cauldron was accepted as the new trophy, and in recognition of the family's contribution, the prize became officially known as the Rabnott Cup. According to Albus Dumbledore, this has led to a historical misconception among some wizards, who mistakenly believe that it was the Rabnott family who wrote the tale of the fountain, rather than Beedle the Bard.
While the family's name is historically significant, no individual members of the Rabnott family are identified by name in any known canon sources.
The precise origin of the surname “Rabnott” is unknown. It may be a compound of two separate names. “Rab” is a traditional Scottish diminutive for the name Robert. “Nott” is an old English surname, also present in the wizarding world through the Nott family, which may derive from a nickname for someone with a bald or close-cropped head.
The Rabnott family is not mentioned in the original seven Harry Potter novels. All information regarding them is sourced from the supplementary book, The Tales of Beedle the Bard.