Show ContentsRobinette History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

It is believed that the name Robineau was originally derived from the Old French word "robine", which was the word that was used for the communication channel of a salted fountain or barrel pond. This leads researchers to believe that the name Robineau was perhaps originally used as a nickname for a person that built fountains. 1

The Robinette (Robinet) variant having a similar meaning, originated in De la Robinais, Ille-et-Vilaine department, in the town of Bain. 1

Early Origins of the Robinette family

The surname Robinette was first found in Brittany where this distinguished family held a family seat in the seigneurie of Plessix where they were members of the aristocracy in that region.

This name goes back to Robert Robinault, squire and Lord of Budorais, who lived in 1478. Jean Robinault, Lord of Mollière, had his coat of arms embroidered in the Armorial of 1696 in Rennes. Louis-Jean Robinault, abbot of Plessix and an official of the bishop of Saint-Malo, died in 1711.

This family maintained its nobility of ancient extraction on 9th November 1668. 2

René Robineau, born in 1629, son of Pierre and Renée (née Maureau), settled in Canada in the 17th century. After his arrival in New France, René married Marie-Anne LeNeuf, daughter of Jacques and Marguerite (née Le Gardeur), in Quebec on 12th December 1699. 3

Early History of the Robinette family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Robinette research. Another 56 words (4 lines of text) covering the years 1655, 1700, 1735 and 1820 are included under the topic Early Robinette History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Robinette Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Robineu, Robinot, Robino, Robinet, Robinette, Robineault, Robineau, Robinault, Robinaud, Robinaut and many more.

Early Notables of the Robinette family

Notable amongst this name at this time was Joseph Robineau (or Robinau) de Villebon (1655-1700), Quebec-born, French educated Governor of Acadia. He built the capital at Fort Nashwaak and was able to maintain the New England-Acadia...
Another 35 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Robinette Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Robinette Ranking

In the United States, the name Robinette is the 2,428th most popular surname with an estimated 12,435 people with that name. 4


Robinette migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Robinette Settlers in United States in the 20th Century
  • James J. Robinette, aged 56, who settled in America, in 1909
  • Henrietta Robinette, aged 46, who immigrated to the United States, in 1911
  • May Robinette, aged 28, who immigrated to America, in 1911
  • John H. Robinette, aged 30, who immigrated to the United States, in 1914
  • Margaret Robinette, aged 25, who landed in America from London, England, in 1919

Contemporary Notables of the name Robinette (post 1700) +

  • Garland Robinette (b. 1943), American journalist in New Orleans, current host of "The Think Tank" on New Orleans radio station WWL (AM)
  • Robert Robinette (b. 1962), American professional football player
  • Mary Robinette (b. 1969), American author and puppeteer
  • Lloyd Mileham Robinette (1881-1951), American politician, Member of Virginia State Senate, 1950 5
  • John H. Robinette, American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Maryland, 1916 5
  • Eva Robinette, American Republican politician, Delegate to Republican National Convention from Arizona, 1936 5
  • John Josiah Robinette CC, OOnt (1906-1996), Canadian lawyer and educator, Chancellor of Trent University (1984-1987)


  1. Dionne, N.-E., Origine Des Familles Canadiennes-Français. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Company, 1969. Print.
  2. Hozier, Charles D, and Antoine Bachelin-Delforenne. État présent De La Noblesse française (1883-1887): Contenant Le Distionnaire De La Noblesse Contemporaine Et Larmorial général De France, Dapres Les Manuscrits De Ch. D Hozier. Librairie Des Bibliophiles, 1884. Print.
  3. Olivier, Reginald L. Your Ancient Canadian Family Ties. Logan: The Everton Publishers, Inc., P.O. Box 368, 1972. Print
  4. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  5. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, December 1) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html


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