Herbine History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

The Anglo-Saxon name Herbine comes from when its first bearer worked as a person who played the harp deriving its origin from the Old French harpin, a person who played the harp. 1

Alternatively, the name could have been a patronymic name as in 'the son of Harpin,' probably from Harfinn. 2

Early Origins of the Herbine family

The surname Herbine was first found in Norfolk, where Thomas Harpyn was listed in the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273. 2

William Harepin was a Knights Templar in 1185 and Harpin (with no forename) was listed in Yorkshire in 1231. 1

Adam Harpin was faulconer to Bishop Swinfield in 1289-90 and later the Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379 included: Henricus Harpyn; Magota Harpyn; and Johanna Harpyn. 2

Early History of the Herbine family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Herbine research. Another 39 words (3 lines of text) covering the years 1273, 1289, 1379, 1686 and 1713 are included under the topic Early Herbine History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Herbine Spelling Variations

Until quite recently, the English language has lacked a definite system of spelling rules. Consequently, Anglo-Saxon surnames are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. Changes in Anglo-Saxon names were influenced by the evolution of the English language, as it incorporated elements of French, Latin, and other languages. Although Medieval scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded, so it is common to find one person referred to by several different spellings of his surname, even the most literate people varied the spelling of their own names. Variations of the name Herbine include Harpin, Herpin, Harpyn, Arpin, Harpen, Herpen and others.

Early Notables of the Herbine family

Another 33 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Herbine Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Herbine family

Searching for a better life, many English families migrated to British colonies. Unfortunately, the majority of them traveled under extremely harsh conditions: overcrowding on the ships caused the majority of the immigrants to arrive diseased, famished, and destitute from the long journey across the ocean. For those families that arrived safely, modest prosperity was attainable, and many went on to make invaluable contributions to the development of the cultures of the new colonies. Research into the origins of individual families in North America revealed records of the immigration of a number of people bearing the name Herbine or a variant listed above: Thomas Harpen, who sailed to Maryland in 1661; James Herpin, who went to Alabama in 1858; Jacob Herpin to Illinois in 1860; Henry and Joseph Herpin to Illinois in 1864..

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)