Harbon History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

Etymology of Harbon

What does the name Harbon mean?

The origins of the name Harbon are with the Anglo-Saxon tribes of Britain. The name 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 Harbon literally means gray Rabin or gray Robin. 1

Early Origins of the Harbon family

The surname Harbon 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 Harbon family

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

Harbon Spelling Variations

The first dictionaries that appeared in the last few hundred years did much to standardize the English language. Before that time, spelling variations in names were a common occurrence. The language was changing, incorporating pieces of other languages, and the spelling of names changed with it. Harbon has been spelled many different ways, including Horrobin, Horrabin, Horobin, Horabin, Harrobin, Harrabin, Harobin, Harbin, Harbine, Harbyn, Harbynn, Horbyn and many more.

Early Notables of the Harbon family

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

Harbon 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:

Harbon Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Mr. bow John Harbon (Har), (b. 1863), aged 16, British settler travelling from Plymouth aboard the ship "Stad Haarlem" arriving in Lyttleton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 14th April 1879 3

Citations +

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)
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 26th March 2019). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html