Torbant History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

• Origins Available:
• Ireland
• England

Etymology of Torbant

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 Torbant, 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 Torbant family originally lived in the settlement of Aubyn in France. Thus, the surname Torbant 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 Torbant family was originally called St. Aubyn, which was eventually corrupted to Torbant. The Gaelic form of the surname is Tóibín.

Early Origins of the Torbant family

Early History of the Torbant family

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

Torbant Spelling Variations

Church officials and medieval scribes often spelled early surnames as they sounded. This practice often resulted in many spelling variations of even a single name. Early versions of the name Torbant included: Tobin, Torbyn, Tobyn and others.

Early Notables of the Torbant family

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

Migration of the Torbant family

Ireland went through one of the most devastating periods in its history with the arrival of the Great Potato Famine of the 1840s. Many also lost their lives from typhus, fever and dysentery. And poverty was the general rule as tenant farmers were often evicted because they could not pay the high rents. Emigration to North America gave hundreds of families a chance at a life where work, freedom, and land ownership were all possible. For those who made the long journey, it meant hope and survival. The Irish emigration to British North America and the United States opened up the gates of industry, commerce, education and the arts. Early immigration and passenger lists have shown many Irish people bearing the name Torbant: David Tobin settled in Philadelphia in 1798; Edward Tobin arrived in Philadelphia in 1838; Edward Tobin settled in New England in 1695.