Robey History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Scotland
Ireland
England

Robey is one of the proud Scottish names to come from the Strathclyde clans 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 Robey family

The surname Robey 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 Robey family

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

Robey Spelling Variations

It is only in the last few hundred years that rules have developed and the process of spelling according to sound has been abandoned. Scottish names from before that time tend to appear under many different spelling variations. Robey has been spelled Robb, Robbie, Roby, Robe, MacRobbie, MacRobb and others.

Early Notables of the Robey 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 Robey Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Robey Ranking

In the United States, the name Robey is the 4,714^th most popular surname with an estimated 7,461 people with that name. 5

Migration of the Robey family to Ireland

Some of the Robey 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.

Robey migration to the United States +

Unwelcome in their beloved homeland, many Scots sailed for the colonies of North America. There, they found land and freedom, and even the opportunity to make a new nation in the American War of Independence. These Scottish settlers played essential roles in the founding of the United States, and the shaping of contemporary North America. Among them:

Robey Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

Brian Robey, aged 24, who arrived in New York in 1920 aboard the ship "Mauretania" from Southampton, England 6
Roberta Robey, aged 31, who arrived in New York in 1920 aboard the ship "Patria" from Marseilles, France 6
Edith M. Robey, aged 22, originally from London, England, who arrived in New York in 1920 aboard the ship "Rotterdam" from Plymouth 6

Robey migration to Australia +

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

Robey Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Louisa Robey, aged 26, a servant, who arrived in South Australia in 1850 aboard the ship "Lysander" 7
Robert Robey, aged 19, who arrived in South Australia in 1852 aboard the ship "Omega" 8

Contemporary Notables of the name Robey (post 1700) +

Don D. Robey (1903-1975), American record label executive, songwriter and record producer
Paul C. Robey, American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from California, 1952 9
James N. Robey, American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Maryland, 2000 9
Jack Robey, American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Kentucky, 1960 9
H. H. Robey, American Democratic Party politician, Chair of Roane County Democratic Party, 1945 9
Frank C. Robey, American Democratic Party politician, Alternate Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Maryland, 1936, 1952 9
Erik Robey, American Republican politician, Alternate Delegate to Republican National Convention from Maryland, 2008 9
James N. Robey (b. 1941), American politician, Member of the Maryland Senate (2007-)
Sir George Robey (1869-1954), born George Edward Wade, an English comedian, singer and actor in musical theatre
Louise Robey (b. 1960), Canadian singer-songwriter, model, and actress

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)
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
Ellis Island Search retrieved 15th November 2022. Retrieved from https://heritage.statueofliberty.org/passenger-result
State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) LYSANDER 1850. Retrieved http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1850Lysander.htm
South Australian Register Tuesday 3 February 1852. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) OMEGA 1852. Retrieved http://www.theshipslist.com/ships/australia/omega1852.shtml
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, December 1) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html