Harben History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

Etymology of Harben

What does the name Harben mean?

The history of the name Harben begins with the Anglo-Saxon tribes of Britain. It is derived from the name Rabin or Robin, which are pet forms of the personal name Robert. The name is preceded the Old English prefix har, which means gray. Hence, the surname Harben literally means gray Rabin or gray Robin. 1

Early Origins of the Harben family

The surname Harben was first found in the parish of Taxal, Derbyshire at Horobin. 2

A very rare name, we did find some late entries for the family in Cheshire. The Wills at Chester list John Horabin, of Westhoughton, 1591; Thomas Horabin, of Bolton, 1612; Richard Horrobin, of Bolton, 1633; and William Horrobin, of Little Bolton, 1633. "It will be seen that the Bolton Horobins first became Horrobin, and then Harrobin, as they exist to-day." 2

Early History of the Harben family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Harben research. Another 154 words (11 lines of text) covering the years 1591, 1596, 1612, 1618, 1633, 1686, 1696, 1713, 1783 and 1790 are included under the topic Early Harben History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Harben Spelling Variations

The English language only became standardized in the last few centuries; therefore, spelling variations are common among early Anglo-Saxon names. As the form of the English language changed, even the spelling of literate people's names evolved. Harben has been recorded under many different variations, including Horrobin, Horrabin, Horobin, Horabin, Harrobin, Harrabin, Harobin, Harbin, Harbine, Harbyn, Harbynn, Horbyn and many more.

Early Notables of the Harben family

Another 42 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Harben Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Harben migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia included the Third Fleet of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Third Fleet

Mr. Joseph Harben, (b. 1765), aged 22, English settler convicted in Horsham, West Sussex on 12th January 1786, sentenced for 7 years for theft, transported aboard the ship "Alexander" leaving in 1787 arriving in New South Wales, Australia in 1788 3

Contemporary Notables of the name Harben (post 1700) +

Robert Harben Whitelegg (1871-1957), English mechanical engineer, Locomotive Superintendent of the London, Tilbury and Southend Railway (LTSR), and later Chief Mechanical Engineer of the Glasgow and South Western Railway (G&SWR)
Joseph Harben Felker (1860-1944), American politician, Member of Georgia State House of Representatives from Walton County, 1896-99, 1929-31; Member of Georgia State Senate 27th District, 1911-12 4

Sources +

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)
Convict Records of Australia. Retrieved 4th February 2021 from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, October 19) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html