Robbins Name Meaning, Family History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Contents [hide]

Robbins History Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables World Ranking

United States Canada Australia New Zealand

Contemporary Notables Historic Events Related Stories Motto Citations

Robbins History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Scotland

The first people to use the name Robbins were a family of Strathclyde-Britons who lived in the Scottish/English Borderlands. The name comes from when someone lived in Peeblesshire. The Robbins surname was also a patronymic name created from the personal name Robin, a pet form of Robert. 1

"That Robin was early considered a diminutive of Robert is shown by an entry in 1483 where the same individual is referred to as Robyne of Hall and Robert of Hall." 2

Early Origins of the Robbins family

The surname Robbins was first found in Peeblesshire (Gaelic: Siorrachd nam Pùballan), former county in South-central Scotland, in the present day Scottish Borders Council Area, where they held a family seat from early times and their first records appeared on the early census rolls taken by the early Kings of Scotland to determine the rate of taxation of their subjects.

Early History of the Robbins family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Robbins research. Another 55 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Robbins History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Robbins Spelling Variations

Surnames that evolved in Scotland in the Middle Ages often appear under many spelling variations. These are due to the practice of spelling according to sound in the era before dictionaries had standardized the English language. Robbins has appeared as Robbins, Robbyns, Robens, Robins, Robin and others.

Early Notables of the Robbins family

Notable amongst the family at this time was

Robbins of Peebles

Robbins World Ranking

In the United States, the name Robbins is the 366^th most popular surname with an estimated 74,610 people with that name. 3 However, in Newfoundland, Canada, the name Robbins is ranked the 620^th most popular surname with an estimated 72 people with that name. 4 And in the United Kingdom, the name Robbins is the 813^rd popular surname with an estimated 8,330 people with that name. 5

Robbins migration to the United States +

The North American colonies beckoned, with their ample land and opportunity as their freedom from the persecution suffered by so many Clan families back home. Many Scots even fought against England in the American War of Independence to gain this freedom. Recently, clan societies have allowed the ancestors of these brave Scottish settlers to rediscover their familial roots. Among them:

Robbins Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Samuel Robbins, who settled in New England in 1635
John Robbins, who landed in Connecticut in 1638 6
Richard Robbins, who arrived in Cambridge, Massachusetts in 1643 6
Edward Robbins, who arrived in Virginia in 1646 6
Alice Robbins, who landed in Virginia in 1653 6
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Robbins Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Thomas Robbins, who arrived in New England in 1703 6

Robbins Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Mary Robbins, who landed in Massachusetts in 1813 6
James Robbins, who arrived in New York in 1824 6
Nathaniel Robbins, who arrived in Texas in 1835 6
Miss Fanny Robbins, (b. 1825), aged 25, Cornish settler departing from England aboard the ship "Royal Adelaide" arriving in the United States on 21st April 1840 7
Peter Robbins, who landed in Mobile, Ala in 1848 6
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Robbins migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Robbins Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century

Lemuel Robbins, aged 35, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick aboard the ship "Condor" in 1838

Robbins migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Robbins Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Mr. John Robbins, (Horne), (b. 1772), aged 47, English convict who was convicted in Berkshire, England for 14 years, transported aboard the "Coromandel" on 27th October 1819, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land), he died in 1863 8
Richard Robbins, English convict from Wiltshire, who was transported aboard the "Asia" on April 1st, 1822, settling in New South Wales, Australia 9
Mr. Benjamin Robbins who was convicted in Gloucester, Gloucestershire, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Elizabeth" on 3rd October 1831, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 10
Mr. Paul Robbins, (b. 1820), aged 18, English convict who was convicted in Bath, Somerset, England for 15 years for stealing, transported aboard the "Earl Grey" on 27th July 1838, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 11
Georgeania Robbins, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Mariner" in 1847 12
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Robbins migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Robbins Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Miss Emily Beatrice Robbins, (b. 1859), aged 7 months, English settler, from Warwickshire travelling from London aboard the ship "Robert Small" arriving in Lyttlelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 29th January 1860 13
Mrs. Eleanor Robbins, (b. 1833), aged 26, English settler, from Warwickshire travelling from London aboard the ship "Robert Small" arriving in Lyttlelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 29th January 1860 13
Mr. Loftus Robbins, (b. 1833), aged 26, English labourer, from Warwickshire travelling from London aboard the ship "Robert Small" arriving in Lyttlelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 29th January 1860 13
Miss Ellen Eliza Robbins, (b. 1855), aged 4, English settler, from Warwickshire travelling from London aboard the ship "Robert Small" arriving in Lyttlelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 29th January 1860 13

Contemporary Notables of the name Robbins (post 1700) +

Irvine Robbins (1917-2008), American co-founder of the Baskin-Robbins ice cream parlor chain
Harold Robbins (b. 1916), American novelist who has written over 25 bestsellers, with over 750 million copies in 32 languages
Trina Robbins (1938-2024), née Perlson, an American cartoonist, one of the first female artists in that movement, inducted into the Will Eisner Hall of Fame
Hargus Melvin "Pig" Robbins (1938-2022), American session keyboard player, known for his work with John Stewart, Dolly Parton, Connie Smith, Patti Page, Loretta Lynn, Kenny Rogers, George Jones, Charlie Rich, Bob Dylan, Neil Young, J.J. Cale, and many more
Peter Robbins (1956-2022), born Louis Nanasi, an American child actor, the first actor to voice Charlie Brown in the Peanuts animated specials in the 1960s
Dan Robbins (1926-2019), American co-inventor of Paint by Numbers, painting kits that were the craze starting the late 1950s using the slogan “Every Man a Rembrandt!”
Josiah Robbins (1761-1850), American politician, New Hampshire State Representative
Marty Robbins (1925-1982), stage name of Martin David Robinson, American two-time Grammy Award winning singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist, inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1982
Kelly Robbins (b. 1969), American professional LGPA golfer
Timothy Francis "Tim" Robbins (b. 1958), American Academy Award winning actor, screenwriter, director, producer, activist and musician
... (Another 12 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Historic Events for the Robbins family +

HMS Hood

Mr. Robert S Robbins (b. 1922), English Ordinary Seaman serving for the Royal Navy from West Bromwich, Staffordshire, England, who sailed into battle and died in the HMS Hood sinking 14

HMS Royal Oak

Cecil Frank Robbins (d. 1939), British Able Seaman with the Royal Navy aboard the HMS Royal Oak (1939) when she was torpedoed by U-47 and sunk; he died in the sinking 15

SS Southern Cross

Mr. John Robbins (1887-1914), Newfoundlander from Lower Island Cove who was aboard the "SS Southern Cross" when it is suspected she sank between the 31st March 1914 and early April during the storm with a heavy load of pelts; no survivors were ever found
Mr. Benjamin Robbins (1896-1914), Newfoundlander from Lower Island Cove who was aboard the "SS Southern Cross" when it is suspected she sank between the 31st March 1914 and early April during the storm with a heavy load of pelts; no survivors were ever found

The Robbins 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: Vivit post funera virtus
Motto Translation: Virtue lives after death

Citations +

Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
Black, George F., The Surnames of Scotland Their Origin, Meaning and History. New York: New York Public Library, 1946. Print. (ISBN 0-87104-172-3)
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
The order of Common Surnames in 1955 in Newfoundland retrieved on 20th October 2021 (retrieved from Family Names of the Island of Newfoundland by E.R. Seary corrected edition ISBN 0-7735-1782-0)
"UK surname ranking." UK Surname map, https://www.surnamemap.eu/unitedkingdom/surnames_ranking.php?p=10
Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
Cornwall Online Parish Clerks. (Retrieved 2018, April 30). Emigrants to New York 1820 - 1891 [PDF]. Retrieved from http://www.opc-cornwall.org/Resc/pdfs/emigration_new_york_1820_1891.pdf
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 12th March 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/coromandel
State Library of Queensland. (Retrieved 2016, October 27) Asia 1 voyage to Van Diemen's Land, Australia in 1822 with 190 passengers. Retrieved from http://www.convictrecords.com.au/ships/asia/1822
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 9th March 2022). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/elizabeth
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 17th August 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/earl-grey
State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) MARINER 1847. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1847Mariner.htm
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 26th March 2019). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
H.M.S. Hood Association-Battle Cruiser Hood: Crew Information - H.M.S. Hood Rolls of Honour, Men Lost in the Sinking of H.M.S. Hood, 24th May 1941. (Retrieved 2016, July 15) . Retrieved from http://www.hmshood.com/crew/memorial/roh_24may41.htm
Ships hit by U-boats crew list HMS Royal Oak (08) - (Retrieved 2018 February, 9th) - retrieved from https://uboat.net/allies/merchants/crews/ship68.html