Tobon 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 Tobon, 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 Tobon family originally lived in the settlement of Aubyn in France. Thus, the surname Tobon 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 Tobon family was originally called St. Aubyn, which was eventually corrupted to Tobon. The Gaelic form of the surname is Tóibín.

Early Origins of the Tobon family

The surname Tobon 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 Tobon family

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

Tobon Spelling Variations

Church officials and medieval scribes often simply spelled names as they sounded. As a result, a single person's name may have been recorded a dozen different ways during his lifetime. Spelling variations for the name Tobon include: Tobin, Torbyn, Tobyn and others.

Early Notables of the Tobon family

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

Migration of the Tobon family

In the 1840s, Ireland experienced a mass exodus to North America due to the Great Potato Famine. These families wanted to escape from hunger and disease that was ravaging their homeland. With the promise of work, freedom and land overseas, the Irish looked upon British North America and the United States as a means of hope and prosperity. Those that survived the journey were able to achieve this through much hard work and perseverance. Early immigration and passenger lists revealed many bearing the name Tobon: David Tobin settled in Philadelphia in 1798; Edward Tobin arrived in Philadelphia in 1838; Edward Tobin settled in New England in 1695.

The Tobon 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.