Show ContentsStebins History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Stebins is a name that first reached England following the Norman Conquest of 1066. The Stebins family lived in Essex having derived from the Old English word stybbing, meaning stumps, and indicates that the original bearer lived in or near an area which had been cleared of trees.

Early Origins of the Stebins family

The surname Stebins was first found in Essex at Stebbing, a small village in the Uttlesford district that dates back to the Domesday Book where it was listed as Stibinga and either meant "settlement of the family or followers of a man called Stybba" or "dwellers among the tree-stumps." 1 Although the Old English roots of this name suggest that they pre-date the Normans in Britain, they were also conjecturally descended from Thomas de Colunces who's son Hugh acquired the lands of Stebbing and Woodham Ferrars in Essex, containing two Mills, vines, and five beehives. Thomas was descended from the Colunces of Calvados in Normandy.

Stubbins is an industrial village in the southern part of the Rossendale Valley, Lancashire and dates back to 1563 when it was first listed as Stubbing. It literally meant "a place with tree stumps."1

Early History of the Stebins family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Stebins research. Another 59 words (4 lines of text) covering the years 1611, 1647, 1687, 1728, 1735 and 1763 are included under the topic Early Stebins History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Stebins Spelling Variations

It is only in the last few hundred years that the English language has been standardized. For that reason, Anglo-Norman surnames like Stebins are characterized by many spelling variations. Scribes and monks in the Middle Ages spelled names they sounded, so it is common to find several variations that refer to a single person. As the English language changed and incorporated elements of other European languages such as Norman French and Latin, even literate people regularly changed the spelling of their names. The variations of the name Stebins include Stebbing, Stebing, Stubbings, Stubbing, Stebbings and many more.

Early Notables of the Stebins family

Another 31 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Stebins Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Stebins family

Faced with the chaos present in England at that time, many English families looked towards the open frontiers of the New World with its opportunities to escape oppression and starvation. People migrated to North America, as well as Australia and Ireland in droves, paying exorbitant rates for passages in cramped, unsafe ships. Many of the settlers did not make the long passage alive, but those who did see the shores of North America were welcomed with great opportunity. Many of the families that came from England went on to make essential contributions to the emerging nations of Canada and the United States. Some of the first immigrants to cross the Atlantic and come to North America carried the name Stebins, or a variant listed above: Edward Stebbing, who came to Cambridge Massachusetts in 1633, and was one of the founders of Hartford, CT; John, Rowland, Sarah, Thomas and Elizabeth Stebbins, who all arrived in New England in 1634.



The Stebins 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: Quiescam
Motto Translation: I shall rest.


  1. Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)


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