Contents [hide]

Robin History Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables Ranking

United States Canada Australia New Zealand

Contemporary Notables Related Stories Motto Citations

Robin History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
France
Scotland

The surname Robin is a name of ancient Anglo-Saxon origin. It is derived from the baptismal name Robin, which was a diminutive of the personal name Robert, and refers to "a son of Robin or Robert." 1

Early Origins of the Robin family

The surname Robin was first found in Middlesex, where the family name Robinus was recorded in the Pipe Rolls of 1198. 2

By the time of the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273, the name had scattered throughout ancient Britain as seen by: Dera Robins, Cambridgeshire; and John Robin, Oxfordshire. "The number of entries in the London Directory is sufficient proof of the early popularity of Robin. " 3

Early History of the Robin family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Robin research. Another 44 words (3 lines of text) covering the years 1248, 1279, 1500, 1511, 1520, 1532, 1558, 1562, 1563, 1576, 1600, 1628, 1650, 1652 and 1662 are included under the topic Early Robin History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Robin Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Robins, Robyns, Robbins, Robbings, Robbens, Robens and many more.

Early Notables of the Robin family

Notables of the family at this time include

John Robins (born ca. 1511) , an English politician, Member of Parliament for Dover (1562-1563) and Mayor of Dover (1576);
John Robins (1500-1558), was an English astrologer, born in Staffordshire. Educated at Oxford, he was elected a fellow of All Souls in 1520. He was in 1532 made a canon of Christ Church by Henry VIII...
John Robins (fl. 1650-1652), was an English Ranter and plebeian prophet, imprisoned for his teachings; he avoided charges of blasphemy by signing a recantation
Colonel Obedience Robbins (sometimes Robins) (c.1600-1662), was an English settler to Virginia from Long Buckby, Northamptonshire in 1628, six-times Burgess representing Accomack County

Robin Ranking

In the United States, the name Robin is the 6,582^nd most popular surname with an estimated 4,974 people with that name. 4 However, in France, the name Robin is ranked the 50^th most popular surname with an estimated 41,002 people with that name. 5

Robin migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Robin Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Martin Robin, who arrived in Virginia in 1705 6
Nicholas Robin, who landed in Louisiana in 1719 6
Charles Robin, aged 24, who landed in Louisiana in 1719 6
Jean Robin, aged 17, who arrived in Louisiana in 1719 6

Robin Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

William Robin, who arrived in New York, NY in 1815 6
Guillaume Robin from Brittany settled in Cape St. George
Joaquin Robin, aged 47, who landed in New Orleans, La in 1851 6
Sam Robin, who landed in Mississippi in 1895 6

Robin migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Robin Settlers in Canada in the 17th Century

Mr. Pierre Robin, (b. 1607), aged 35, French settler travelling to Canada for work arriving on 7th April 1642 7
Etienne Robin, aged 20, who arrived in Montreal in 1653
Jean Robin, son of Jean and Perette, who married Jeanne Charreton, daughter of Claude and Madeleine, in Quebec on 10th October 1667 8
Francois Robin, who landed in Canada in 1688
Francois Robin, who arrived in Quebec in 1694 from Brittany
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Robin Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century

Jacques Robin, son of Louis and Marie, who married Marie-Françoise Beauchamp, daughter of Jean and Jeanne, in Lachenaie, Quebec on 20th April 1729 8
Étienne Robin, son of Jean and Marie-Claude, who married Marie Charles, daughter of Clément and Marie, in Terrebonne, Quebec on 3rd November 1734 8
Louis Robin, who arrived in Quebec in 1735 from Maine
Jean Robin, who arrived in Quebec from Berry in 1738
Jean Robin, son of Étienne and Marie, who married Marie-Françoise Brouillet, daughter of Jean and Françoise, in Montreal, Quebec on 9th June 1738 8
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Robin migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Robin Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Elisha Robin, aged 27, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Prince Regent" in 1849 9
Amelia Robin, aged 18, a dressmaker, who arrived in South Australia in 1854 aboard the ship "Navarino" 10
Jane Robin, aged 18, a servant, who arrived in South Australia in 1854 aboard the ship "William Prowse" 11

Robin 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:

Robin Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Mr. Robert Robin, Scottish settler travelling from Glasgow aboard the ship "Storm Cloud" arriving in Otago, South Island, New Zealand on 30th July 1861 12
Frederick Robin, aged 24, a farm labourer, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Rodney" in 1875
Mary A. Robin, aged 21, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Rodney" in 1875

Contemporary Notables of the name Robin (post 1700) +

Leo Robin (1900-1984), American composer, lyricist and songwriter
Adolph Robin, American Democratic Party politician, Alternate Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Illinois, 1936 13
Régine Robin (1939-2021), born Rivka Ajzersztejn, a Canadian historian, novelist, translator and professor of sociology
Michel Robin (1930-2020), French film, stage, and television actor
Daniel Robin (1943-2018), French gold and two-time silver medalist wrestler, active in the 1960s
Antoine Joseph Robin, French Divisional General during the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars from 1789 to 1815 14
Mado Robin (1918-1960), French coloratura singer
Austen Robin Crapp CBE (1934-2024), Australian prelate of the Roman Catholic Church, born in Sydney, New South Wales
Byrna Robin Barclay SOM (1940-2023), née Burton, a Canadian writer and editor from Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, President of the Saskatchewan Writers Guild
Alastair Robin McGlashan (d. 2012), British Anglican priest, a Jungian analyst, Tamil scholar

The Robin 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: Vivit post funera virtus
Motto Translation: Virtue lives after death.

Citations +

Smith, Eldson Coles, New Dictionary of American Family Names New York: Harper & Row, 1956. Print
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)
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
http://www.journaldesfemmes.com/nom-de-famille/nom/
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)
Debien, Gabriel. Liste Des Engagés Pour Le Canada Au XVIIe Siècle. Vol. 6, Laval University, 1952. (Retreived 24th May 2018). Retrieved from https://lebloguedeguyperron.wordpress.com/2016/06/30/130-liste-des-contrats-dengagement-pour-la-nouvelle-france-releves-a-la-rochelle-entre-1634-et-1679/
Internoscia, Arthur E., and Claire Chevrier. Dictionnaire National des Canadiens Français 1608-1760. Vol. 2, Institut Drouin, 1958.
State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) "PRINCE REGENT" 1849. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1849PrinceRegent.htm
South Australian Register Monday 14th August 1854. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) Navarino 1854. Retrieved http://www.theshipslist.com/ships/australia/navarino1854.shtml
South Australian Register Monday 21st August 1854. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) William Prowse 1856. Retrieved http://www.theshipslist.com/ships/australia/williamprowse1854.shtml
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 26th March 2019). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, December 1) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
Generals Who Served in the French Army during the Period 1789-1815. (Retrieved 2015, August 27) Antoine Robin. Retrieved from http://www.napoleon-series.org/research/c_frenchgenerals.html