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 age-old Scottish surname Robin was first used by the Strathclyde-Briton people. The Robin family lived in Peeblesshire. The Robin surname was also a patronymic name created from the personal name Robin, a pet form of Robert. 1

"That Robin was early considered a diminutive of Robert is shown by an entry in 1483 where the same individual is referred to as Robyne of Hall and Robert of Hall." 2

Early Origins of the Robin family

The surname Robin was first found in Peeblesshire (Gaelic: Siorrachd nam Pùballan), former county in South-central Scotland, in the present day Scottish Borders Council Area, where they held a family seat from early times and their first records appeared on the early census rolls taken by the early Kings of Scotland to determine the rate of taxation of their subjects.

Early History of the Robin family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Robin research. Another 55 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Robin History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Robin 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. Robin has been spelled Robbins, Robbyns, Robens, Robins, Robin and others.

Early Notables of the Robin family

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

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. 3 However, in France, the name Robin is ranked the 50^th most popular surname with an estimated 41,002 people with that name. 4

Robin migration to the United States +

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:

Robin Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Martin Robin, who arrived in Virginia in 1705 5
Nicholas Robin, who landed in Louisiana in 1719 5
Charles Robin, aged 24, who landed in Louisiana in 1719 5
Jean Robin, aged 17, who arrived in Louisiana in 1719 5

Robin Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

William Robin, who arrived in New York, NY in 1815 5
Guillaume Robin from Brittany settled in Cape St. George
Joaquin Robin, aged 47, who landed in New Orleans, La in 1851 5
Sam Robin, who landed in Mississippi in 1895 5

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 6
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 7
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 7
Étienne Robin, son of Jean and Marie-Claude, who married Marie Charles, daughter of Clément and Marie, in Terrebonne, Quebec on 3rd November 1734 7
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 7
... (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 8
Amelia Robin, aged 18, a dressmaker, who arrived in South Australia in 1854 aboard the ship "Navarino" 9
Jane Robin, aged 18, a servant, who arrived in South Australia in 1854 aboard the ship "William Prowse" 10

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 11
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 12
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 13
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 +

Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. 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)
"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