Robby History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Scotland
Ireland
England

The ancient name Robby was first used by the Strathclyde people of the Scottish/English Borderlands. It 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 Robby family

The surname Robby 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 Robby family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Robby 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 Robby History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Robby Spelling Variations

In Medieval times, spelling and translation were not nearly so highly developed as today. They were generally carried out according to the sound and intuition of the bearer. For that reason spelling variations are extremely common among early Scottish names. Robby has been spelled Robb, Robbie, Roby, Robe, MacRobbie, MacRobb and others.

Early Notables of the Robby family

Notable amongst the family at this time was James Robe (1688-1753), Scottish Presbyterian divine, son of Michael Robe, minister of Cumbernauld. He studied at Glasgow University, and was licensed by the presbytery of Linlithgow in 1709. In 1713...
Another 38 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Robby Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Robby family to Ireland

Some of the Robby 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.

Migration of the Robby family

Unrest, poverty, and persecution caused thousands to look for opportunity and freedom in the North American colonies. The crossing was long, overcrowded, and unsanitary, though, and came only at great expense. Many Strathclyde families settled on the east coast of North America in communities that would form the backbone of what would become the great nations of the United States and Canada. The American War of Independence caused those who remained loyal to England to move north to Canada as United Empire Loyalists. In the 20th century, Strathclyde and other Scottish families across North America began to recover their collective heritage through highland games and Clan societies. Among them: Alexander Robb arrived in New York State in 1804; James Robb arrived in South Carolina in 1716; Thomas Robb settled in Virginia in 1635; Alexander, James, John, Michael, Thomas and William Robb all arrived in Philadelphia between 1840 and 1870.

Contemporary Notables of the name Robby (post 1700) +

Robby Unser (b. 1968), American former Indy Racing League driver and nine-time winner of the Pikes Peak International Hillclimb
Robby Müller (1940-2018), Dutch cinematographer best known for his collaborations with film director Wim Wenders and Jim Jarmusch
Robby J. Albarado (b. 1973), American Thoroughbred horse racing jockey who has had 4,411 career wins, winner of the 2004 George Woolf Memorial Jockey Award
Robby McGehee (b. 1973), American Indy Racing League driver
Robby Krieger (b. 1946), American rock and roll guitarist, who played with "The Doors"
Robby Hightower, American Republican politician, Delegate to Republican National Convention from California, 2008 5

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)
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2016, January 20) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html