Harben History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

The history of the name Harben begins with the Anglo-Saxon tribes of Britain. It is derived from the name Rabin or Robin, which are pet forms of the personal name Robert. The name is preceded the Old English prefix har, which means gray. Hence, the surname Harben literally means gray Rabin or gray Robin. 1

Early Origins of the Harben family

The surname Harben was first found in the parish of Taxal, Derbyshire at Horobin. 2

A very rare name, we did find some late entries for the family in Cheshire. The Wills at Chester list John Horabin, of Westhoughton, 1591; Thomas Horabin, of Bolton, 1612; Richard Horrobin, of Bolton, 1633; and William Horrobin, of Little Bolton, 1633. "It will be seen that the Bolton Horobins first became Horrobin, and then Harrobin, as they exist to-day." 2

Early History of the Harben family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Harben research. Another 154 words (11 lines of text) covering the years 1591, 1596, 1612, 1618, 1633, 1686, 1696, 1713, 1783 and 1790 are included under the topic Early Harben History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Harben Spelling Variations

The English language only became standardized in the last few centuries; therefore, spelling variations are common among early Anglo-Saxon names. As the form of the English language changed, even the spelling of literate people's names evolved. Harben has been recorded under many different variations, including Horrobin, Horrabin, Horobin, Horabin, Harrobin, Harrabin, Harobin, Harbin, Harbine, Harbyn, Harbynn, Horbyn and many more.

Early Notables of the Harben family

Another 42 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Harben Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Harben family

For many English families, the political and religious disarray that shrouded England made the far away New World an attractive prospect. On cramped disease-ridden ships, thousands migrated to those British colonies that would eventually become Canada and the United States. Those hardy settlers that survived the journey often went on to make important contributions to the emerging nations in which they landed. Analysis of immigration records indicates that some of the first North American immigrants bore the name Harben or a variant listed above: Peter Harbynn, who settled in Virginia in 1635; Richard Horribynn, who arrived in St. Christopher in 1635; Alexander Harbin, who arrived with his wife in Barbados in 1680.

Contemporary Notables of the name Harben (post 1700) +

Robert Harben Whitelegg (1871-1957), English mechanical engineer, Locomotive Superintendent of the London, Tilbury and Southend Railway (LTSR), and later Chief Mechanical Engineer of the Glasgow and South Western Railway (G&SWR)
Joseph Harben Felker (1860-1944), American politician, Member of Georgia State House of Representatives from Walton County, 1896-99, 1929-31; Member of Georgia State Senate 27th District, 1911-12 3

Citations +

Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, October 19) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html