Tobben History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Ireland
England

When the Anglo-Normans began to settle in Ireland, they brought the tradition of local surnames to an island which already had a Gaelic naming system of hereditary surnames established. Unlike the Irish, the Anglo-Normans had an affinity for local surnames. Local surnames, such as Tobben, were formed from the names of a place or a geographical landmark where the person lived, held land, or was born. The earliest Anglo-Norman surnames of this type came from Normandy, but as the Normans moved, they created names that referred to where they actually resided. Therefore, English places were used for names when the Normans lived in England, and then Irish places after these particular Anglo-Normans had been settled in Ireland for some time. Originally, these place names were prefixed by de, which means from in French. However, this type of prefix was eventually either made a part of the surname, if the place name began with a vowel, or it was eliminated entirely. The Tobben family originally lived in the settlement of Aubyn in France. Thus, the surname Tobben belongs to the class of topographic surnames, which were given to people who resided near physical features such as hills, streams, churches, or types of trees. The Tobben family was originally called St. Aubyn, which was eventually corrupted to Tobben. The Gaelic form of the surname is Tóibín.

Early Origins of the Tobben family

The surname Tobben was first found in Devon, where they held a family seat at the manor of Ashton known as "Place Barton," the heiress of this line married Sir John St. Aubyns. Sir John was the heir of the St. Aubyns of St. Aubyn du Thenney in Normandy, and was possessed of considerable estates at Pickwell, Georgeham, Berynarber, and Paracombe in north Devon. The name St. Aubyn gradually eroded to Torbyn and then Tobyn.

Early History of the Tobben family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Tobben research. Another 86 words (6 lines of text) covering the year 1819 is included under the topic Early Tobben History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Tobben Spelling Variations

Medieval scribes and church officials spelled the names as they sounded, so a name was often spelled many different ways during the lifetime of a single person. The investigation of the origin of the name Tobben revealed many spelling variations including Tobin, Torbyn, Tobyn and others.

Early Notables of the Tobben family

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

Tobben migration to the United States +

The Irish emigration during the late 18th and 19th century contributed to the melting pot of nationalities in North America, and the building of a whole new era of industry and commerce in what was seen as a rich, new land. Ireland'sGreat Potato Famine resulted in the worst economic and social conditions in the island's history. And in response to the hunger, disease, and poverty, during this decade the total number of emigrants to leave for North America rivaled all the previous years combined. Those from this decade that arrived on North American shores were not warmly welcomed by the established population, but they were vital to the rapid development of the industry, agriculture, and infrastructure of the infant nations of the United States and what would become Canada. Research into early immigration and passenger lists has shown many people bearing the name Tobben:

Tobben Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Allart Tobben, aged 34, who arrived in Missouri in 1840 1
Henry Tobben, aged 23, who landed in Missouri in 1848 1

The Tobben Motto +

The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.

Motto: Noli me tangere
Motto Translation: Touch me not.

Citations +

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)