Tobent History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

• Origins Available:
• Ireland
• England

Etymology of Tobent

When the Anglo-Normans began to settle in Ireland, they brought the tradition of local surnames to an island which already had a Gaelic naming system of hereditary surnames established. Unlike the Irish, the Anglo-Normans had an affinity for local surnames. Local surnames, such as Tobent, were formed from the names of a place or a geographical landmark where the person lived, held land, or was born. The earliest Anglo-Norman surnames of this type came from Normandy, but as the Normans moved, they created names that referred to where they actually resided. Therefore, English places were used for names when the Normans lived in England, and then Irish places after these particular Anglo-Normans had been settled in Ireland for some time. Originally, these place names were prefixed by de, which means from in French. However, this type of prefix was eventually either made a part of the surname, if the place name began with a vowel, or it was eliminated entirely. The Tobent family originally lived in the settlement of Aubyn in France. Thus, the surname Tobent belongs to the class of topographic surnames, which were given to people who resided near physical features such as hills, streams, churches, or types of trees. The Tobent family was originally called St. Aubyn, which was eventually corrupted to Tobent. The Gaelic form of the surname is Tóibín.

Early Origins of the Tobent family

Early History of the Tobent family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Tobent research. Another 86 words (6 lines of text) covering the year 1819 is included under the topic Early Tobent History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Tobent Spelling Variations

Medieval scribes and church officials spelled the names as they sounded, so a name was often spelled many different ways during the lifetime of a single person. The investigation of the origin of the name Tobent revealed many spelling variations including Tobin, Torbyn, Tobyn and others.

Early Notables of the Tobent family

More information is included under the topic Early Tobent Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Tobent family

Ireland experienced a dramatic decrease in its population during the 19th century. This was in a great measure, a response to England's imperialistic policies. Hunger and disease took the lives of many Irish people and many more chose to leave their homeland to escape the horrific conditions. North America with its promise of work, freedom, and land was an extremely popular destination for Irish families. For those families that survived the journey, all three of these things were often attained through much hard work and perseverance. Research into early immigration and passenger lists revealed many immigrants bearing the name Tobent: David Tobin settled in Philadelphia in 1798; Edward Tobin arrived in Philadelphia in 1838; Edward Tobin settled in New England in 1695.