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Philbin History Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables

Contemporary Notables Historic Events Related Stories Citations

Philbin Surname History

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

The name Philbin reached English shores for the first time with the ancestors of the Philbin family as they migrated following the Norman Conquest of 1066. The Philbin family lived in Sussex, at the town of Pilbeam, which is now lost to the map. 1

Another source claims the name was derived from "A species of tree which I cannot identify, probably so named from its suitableness for the shaft of a spear; Anglo-Saxon pyl. I have not met with this name out of the county of Sussex, where it is sometimes pronounced Pilbin." 2

And another source notes the name to “barker of trees.” It is not a trade name at all, but purely local, derived from the Kent manor of Peltebeme. Possibly the peeling of trees may come into it, for the manorial landmark may have been some “peeled tree.” 3

Early Origins of the Philbin family

The surname Philbin was first found in Sussex where Adam de Peltebhem was listed in the Subsidy Rolls of 1296. The same rolls but at a later date included Thomas Peltebem in 1327. 1

There is a presumed close relationship to the Burke family, and Philbin, which later became Pilbeam, was descended from the grandson of Richard de Burgo (Burke) Governor of Ireland in 1219 whose name was Philipin. In Ireland they were recognized as 'English' and some branches of this family adopted that name also. Others adopted the name MacPhilbin. The variant Phelippon was listed as an early Huguenot name in Ireland. 4

Meanwhile in England, the main branch Pilbeam or Philbeam, moved back to Sussex and settled there.

Early History of the Philbin family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Philbin research. Another 95 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1172, 1327 and 1347 are included under the topic Early Philbin History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Philbin Spelling Variations

Anglo-Norman names tend to be marked by an enormous number of spelling variations. This is largely due to the fact that Old and Middle English lacked any spelling rules when Norman French was introduced in the 11th century. The languages of the English courts at that time were French and Latin. These various languages mixed quite freely in the evolving social milieu. The final element of this mix is that medieval scribes spelled words according to their sounds rather than any definite rules, so a name was often spelled in as many different ways as the number of documents it appeared in. The name was spelled Pilbeam, Philbeam, MacPhilbin, Pilbean, Philbean, Pilbin and many more.

Early Notables of the Philbin family

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

Migration of the Philbin family to Ireland

Some of the Philbin family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 52 words (4 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Philbin migration to the United States +

Because of the political and religious discontent in England, families began to migrate abroad in enormous numbers. Faced with persecution and starvation at home, the open frontiers and generally less oppressive social environment of the New World seemed tantalizing indeed to many English people. The trip was difficult, and not all made it unscathed, but many of those who did get to Canada and the United States made important contributions to the young nations in which they settled. Some of the first North American settlers with Philbin name or one of its variants:

Philbin Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Michael Philbin, who settled in Baltimore, Md, in 1834
Michael Philbin, aged 30, who arrived in Baltimore, Maryland in 1834 5

Philbin migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Philbin Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Thomas Philbin, aged 45, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Inchinnan" in 1852 6
Rachel Philbin, aged 34, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Inchinnan" in 1852 6
Mr. Thomas Philbin, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Inchinnan" arriving in Auckland, New Zealand on 27th May 1852 6

Contemporary Notables of the name Philbin (post 1700) +

Regis Francis Xavier Philbin (1931-2020), American Emmy Award-winning TV personality and game show host Best known as the host of TV's "Live With Regis and Kelly," he holds the Guinness World Record for the most time spent in front of a television camera
Patrick F. Philbin, American lawyer who served as Deputy Counsel, and Deputy Assistant
Gregg Philbin (d. 2022), American rock bassist for REO Speedwagon (1968-1977)
John Philbin (b. 1960), American character actor, known for Point Break (1991), The Return of the Living Dead (1985) and Tombstone (1993)
Philip Joseph Philbin (1898-1972), American politician, Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Massachusetts (1943-1971)
Joseph Philbin (b. 1961), American offensive line and assistant head coach for the Indianapolis Colts
Bette Joy Senese Philbin (b. 1941), American television personality, wife of Regis Philbin
Jennifer Joy "J. J." Philbin (b. 1974), American producer and screenwriter, best known for her work on the drama series The O.C., daughter of Regis Philbin and his wife Joy Philbin
Eugene Ambrose Philbin (1857-1920), American lawyer and politician, New York County District Attorney from 1900 to 1901
Gerald John "Gerry" Philbin (b. 1941), American former professional NFL football player who played from 1964 to 1974, member of the All-time American Football League Team
... (Another 8 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Historic Events for the Philbin family +

USS Arizona

Mr. James Richard Philbin, American Seaman First Class from Colorado, USA working aboard the ship "USS Arizona" when she sunk during the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on 7th December 1941, he died in the sinking 7

Citations +

Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
Smith, Eldson Coles, New Dictionary of American Family Names New York: Harper & Row, 1956. Print
O'Hart, John, Irish Pedigrees 5th Edition in 2 Volumes. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Company, 1976. Print. (ISBN 0-8063-0737-4)
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)
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
Pearl Harbour: USS Arizona Casualties List Pearl Harbour December 7, 1941. (Retrieved 2018, July 31st). Retrieved from http://pearl-harbor.com/arizona/casualtylist.html