Durbin History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

The ancestors of the Durbin family brought their name to England in the wave of migration after the Norman Conquest of 1066. They lived in Dorset. Their name, however, is a reference to Turpin Au Bois, Normandy, 1 the family's place of residence prior to the Norman Conquest of England in 1066. Alternatively, the name could have been derived from the French name Turpinus, a derivative of the Latin 'turpis,' meaning 'disgraceful,' a name adopted by the early Christians as a token of humility. 2

Early Origins of the Durbin family

The surname Durbin was first found in Dorset but was quickly found in Yorkshire shortly after the Norman Conquest. One of the first records of the name was listed in the Domesday Book of 1086 as Torfin or Turfin. 3

Turfinus filius Torfini was listed in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire in 1130 as was Torphinus in the same rolls in 1196. A few years later, Gaufridus filius Thorphini was listed in the Curia Regis Rolls of 1204. 2

The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 list John Turpin in Oxfordshire. 4 Whitchester in Northumberland was home to a branch of the family. "This place was for ages the possession of the Turpin family." 5

Richard "Dick" Turpin (1705-1739), the infamous English highwayman who was executed on 22 March 1739 for his deeds was inspiration for many English ballads, theatre and films hailed from Hempstead, Essex. Ironically, Turpin was never convicted of being a highwayman or a murderer. He was convicted of being a horse-rustler and that led to his execution.

Early History of the Durbin family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Durbin research. Another 83 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1619 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Durbin History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Durbin Spelling Variations

A multitude of spelling variations characterize Norman surnames. Many variations occurred because Old and Middle English lacked any definite spelling rules. The introduction of Norman French to England also had a pronounced effect, as did the court languages of Latin and French. Therefore, one person was often referred to by several different spellings in a single lifetime. The various spellings include Turpine, Torpin, Turpin, Turbin, Turping, Tirping, Tirpin, Terpin, Turpen and many more.

Early Notables of the Durbin family

More information is included under the topic Early Durbin Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Durbin Ranking

In the United States, the name Durbin is the 2,398^th most popular surname with an estimated 12,435 people with that name. 6

Migration of the Durbin family to Ireland

Some of the Durbin family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 59 words (4 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Durbin migration to the United States +

Many English families left England, to avoid the chaos of their homeland and migrated to the many British colonies abroad. Although the conditions on the ships were extremely cramped, and some travelers arrived diseased, starving, and destitute, once in the colonies, many of the families prospered and made valuable contributions to the cultures of what would become the United States and Canada. Research into the origins of individual families in North America has revealed records of the immigration of a number of people bearing the name Durbin or a variant listed above:

Durbin Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Skip Durbin, who arrived in Mobile, Ala in 1787 7

Durbin Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

George Durbin, aged 40, who settled in America, in 1892
John Durbin, aged 50, who settled in America, in 1893
J. W. Durbin, aged 60, who immigrated to the United States, in 1895
W. T. Durbin, aged 36, who landed in America, in 1896
Caroline Durbin, aged 45, who immigrated to America from Lomerstown, in 1899
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Durbin Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

Nellie Durbin, aged 28, who landed in America from England, in 1901
Frank Durbin, aged 21, who immigrated to the United States from England, in 1902
Annie Durbin, aged 21, who immigrated to the United States from Charleston, Ireland, in 1907
Hannah D. Durbin, aged 27, who landed in America, in 1908
Wm. Thomas Durbin, aged 62, who settled in America, in 1909
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Durbin (post 1700) +

Blaine Alphonsus "Kid" Durbin (1886-1943), American left-handed Major League Baseball outfielder and pitcher
Joseph Adam "J. D." Durbin (b. 1982), American pitcher
Frederic S. Durbin, American writer and novelist of fantasy and horror
Chad Griffin Durbin (b. 1977), American Major League Baseball pitcher
William W. Durbin, American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Ohio, 1912 (speaker), 1924, 1928, 1932; Candidate for U.S. Representative from Ohio 8th District, 1912 8
William N. Durbin, American Republican politician, Delegate to Republican National Convention from Indiana, 1908 8
Richard Joseph Durbin (b. 1944), American Democratic Party politician, U.S. Representative from Illinois 20th District, 1983-97; U.S. Senator from Illinois, 1997- 8
Raymond Durbin, American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Ohio, 1912 (alternate), 1916 8
Mildred Durbin, American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Ohio, 1960 (alternate), 1964 8
Maurice Durbin, American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Louisiana, 2008 8
... (Another 7 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Citations +

The Norman People and Their Existing Descendants in the British Dominions and the United States Of America. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing, 1975. Print. (ISBN 0-8063-0636-X)
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, October 28) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html