Rob History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Scotland
Ireland
England

The ancestors of the Rob family lived among the Strathclyde people of the Scottish/English Borderlands. Their name is derived from the personal name Robert, which is composed of the elements hrod, meaning famous, and berht, meaning bright. 1 2

Early Origins of the Rob family

The surname Rob was first found in Stirlingshire, but we must look to Aberdeen to find one of the more interesting entries, that of Beatriux and Issobell Robie (Robye) who were listed as witches in 1597 which was not that unusual of the religious conflicts of that time. 3

Jok Robb was a voter in Monkland in 1519 and Nicholas Rob was a witness in Dumfriesshire in 1542. John Rob was a witness in Glasgow in 1551 and 1554. 3

While the name is traditionally Scottish, to the south in England early records were also found. Richard Robbe, Robe was found in the Pipe Rolls for Sussex in 1177-1178 and Richard Robbe was found in Somerset in 1212. Later, Simon Robes was listed in 1319 and Adam Robbes was listed in the Subsidy Rolls for Suffolk in 1327. 4

Early History of the Rob family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Rob research. Another 112 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1542, 1551, 1554, 1646, 1688, 1709, 1713, 1740, 1753 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Rob History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Rob Spelling Variations

The variation in the spelling of Medieval names is a result of the lack of spelling rules in the English language prior to the last few hundred years. Before that time, scribes spelled according to sound, often varying the spelling of name within a single document. Rob has appeared as Robb, Robbie, Roby, Robe, MacRobbie, MacRobb and others.

Early Notables of the Rob family

Notable amongst the family at this time was

James Robe (1688-1753), Scottish Presbyterian divine, son of Michael Robe, minister of Cumbernauld...

Migration of the Rob family to Ireland

Some of the Rob family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 70 words (5 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Rob migration to the United States +

As the persecution of Clan families continued, they sailed for North America in increasing numbers. In most cases, they found the freedom and opportunity they sought. Land was often available and the American War of Independence allowed Scots an opportunity to solidify their independence from the English crown. These settlers and their ancestors went on to play essential roles in the forging of the nations of the United States and Canada. Among them:

Rob Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Hans Jurg Rob, who landed in New York in 1709 5
Christopher Rob, who arrived in New Jersey in 1769 5

Rob migration to Australia +

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

Rob Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Mr. John Rob, Scottish convict who was convicted in Stirling, Scotland for 14 years, transported aboard the "Coromandel" on 4th December 1803, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 6

Contemporary Notables of the name Rob (post 1700) +

William Rob, American politician, Member of New York State Assembly from Montgomery and Hamilton counties, 1831 7
Michael Rob Costine, American producer, known for his work on Snipped (2012) and Love at First Sight (2010)
Rob Krier (1938-2023), Luxembourgish sculptor, architect, urban designer, and theorist
Rob Purdham (b. 1980), English professional rugby league player who played in the 1990s, 2000s and 2010s
Rob Blissett, British consultant and published researcher
Rob Hoadley (b. 1980), English rugby player who played from 1999 to 2009 and currently coaches
Rob Kolar, American singer-songwriter, producer, composer and actor, son of film producer Evzen Kolar
Rob VanAlkemade, Dutch cinematographer
Rob Bettinson (b. 1955), English actor and writer from in Stockton-on-Tees, County Durham, known for The Fifteen Streets (1989) and Coronation Street (1960)
Rob Neep, American actor, known for Bloodthirst 2: Revenge of the Chupacabras (2005)

Citations +

Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
Harrison, Henry, Surnames of the United Kingdom: A Concise Etymological Dictionary Baltimore: Geneological Publishing Company, 2013. Print
Black, George F., The Surnames of Scotland Their Origin, Meaning and History. New York: New York Public Library, 1946. Print. (ISBN 0-87104-172-3)
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
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)
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 22nd March 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/coromandel-and-experiment
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, October 19) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html