Contents [hide]

Robins History Etymology Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables World Ranking

United States Canada Australia New Zealand

Contemporary Notables Historic Events Related Stories Motto Citations

Robins History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
France
Scotland

Etymology of Robins

What does the name Robins mean?

The surname Robins is a name of ancient Anglo-Saxon origin. It is derived from the baptismal name Robin, which was a diminutive of the personal name Robert, and refers to "a son of Robin or Robert." 1

Early Origins of the Robins family

The surname Robins was first found in Middlesex, where the family name Robinus was recorded in the Pipe Rolls of 1198. 2

By the time of the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273, the name had scattered throughout ancient Britain as seen by: Dera Robins, Cambridgeshire; and John Robin, Oxfordshire. "The number of entries in the London Directory is sufficient proof of the early popularity of Robin. " 3

Early History of the Robins family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Robins research. Another 44 words (3 lines of text) covering the years 1248, 1279, 1500, 1511, 1520, 1532, 1558, 1562, 1563, 1576, 1600, 1628, 1650, 1652 and 1662 are included under the topic Early Robins History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Robins Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Robins, Robyns, Robbins, Robbings, Robbens, Robens and many more.

Early Notables of the Robins family

Notables of the family at this time include

John Robins (born ca. 1511) , an English politician, Member of Parliament for Dover (1562-1563) and Mayor of Dover (1576);
John Robins (1500-1558), was an English astrologer, born in Staffordshire. Educated at Oxford, he was elected a fellow of All Souls in 1520. He was in 1532 made a canon of Christ Church by Henry VIII...
John Robins (fl. 1650-1652), was an English Ranter and plebeian prophet, imprisoned for his teachings; he avoided charges of blasphemy by signing a recantation
Colonel Obedience Robbins (sometimes Robins) (c.1600-1662), was an English settler to Virginia from Long Buckby, Northamptonshire in 1628, six-times Burgess representing Accomack County

Robins World Ranking

In the United States, the name Robins is the 2,674^th most popular surname with an estimated 12,435 people with that name. 4 However, in Australia, the name Robins is ranked the 865^th most popular surname with an estimated 4,582 people with that name. 5 And in the United Kingdom, the name Robins is the 971^st popular surname with an estimated 7,170 people with that name. 6

Robins migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Robins Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Sampson Robins, who arrived in Virginia in 1635 7
Mr. Thomas Robins, aged 17, who arrived in Virginia in 1635 aboard the ship "Speedwell" 8
Mr. Edward Robins, aged 33, who arrived in Virginia in 1635 aboard the ship "Thomas" 8
Lawrence Robins, who arrived in Virginia in 1637 7
Grace Robins, who landed in Virginia in 1638 7
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Robins Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Thomas Robins, who landed in Virginia in 1706 7
James Robins, who arrived in Boston, Massachusetts in 1764 7

Robins Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Nathaniel Robins, aged 60, who landed in New York in 1812 7
Bridget Robins, who landed in New York, NY in 1816 7
Miss Louisa Robins, (b. 1836), aged 13, Cornish settler departing from Penzance aboard the ship "Cornwall" arriving in the United states on 23rd August 1849 9
Cornielus Henry Robins, who landed in Arkansas in 1880 7
Edward A Robins, who arrived in Arkansas in 1880 7
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Robins Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

Mrs. Eliza Jane Robins, (b. 1867), aged 38, Cornish settler travelling aboard the ship "St Louis" arriving at Ellis Island, New York in 1905 en route to Morristown, New Jersey, USA 10
Mr. John Charles Robins, (b. 1880), aged 25, Cornish miner, from Par, Cornwall, UK travelling aboard the ship "New York" arriving at Ellis Island, New York on 4th June 1905 en route to Houghton, Michigan, USA 10
Mr. Richard Thomas Robins, (b. 1889), aged 16, Cornish coachman travelling aboard the ship "St Louis" arriving at Ellis Island, New York in 1905 en route to Morristown, New Jersey, USA 10
Mr. William Robins, (b. 1876), aged 29, Cornish miner, from Truro, Cornwall, UK travelling aboard the ship "Philadelphia" arriving at Ellis Island, New York in 1905 en route to Butte, Montana, USA 10

Robins migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Robins Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century

Charles Robins, who arrived in Nova Scotia in 1749-1752
Mr. Robert Robins U.E. who settled in Belle Vue, Beaver Harbour, Charlotte County, New Brunswick c. 1783 11
Mr. Richard Robins U.E. who settled in Canada c. 1784 11
Ensign. John Robins U.E. (b. 1756) born in New Jersey, USA from Monmouth County, New Jersey, USA who settled in Bedeque, Island of Saint John (Prince Edward Island) c. 1784 he served in the New Jersey Volunteers 1st Battalion and King's Rangers 1st Battalion, married to Mary Hooper having 6 children, he died in 1797 11
Mr. Richard Robins U.E. (b. 1724) from Monmouth County, New Jersey, USA who settled in Bedeque, Island of Saint John (Prince Edward Island) c. 1784 father of John Robins, he had 2 other children, he died in 1785 11
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Robins Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century

John Robins, who arrived in Canada in 1834

Robins migration to Australia +

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

Robins Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Mr. Michael Robins who was convicted in Lancaster, Lancashire, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Dick" on 2nd October 1820, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 12
William Robins, a plasterer, who arrived in Van Diemen’s Land (now Tasmania) sometime between 1825 and 1832
Mr. John Robins who was convicted in Bristol, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Bussorah Merchant" on 24th March 1828, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 13
Mr. William Robins, Cornish convict who was convicted in Cornwall, England for 14 years, transported aboard the "Burrell" on 22nd July 1830, arriving in New South Wales 14
Mr. William Robins (b. 1808), aged 22, Cornish settler convicted in Cornwall, UK on 20th April 1830, sentenced for 14 years for stealing clothing from his employer, Elizabeth Goodman, transported aboard the ship "Burrell" on 22nd July 1830 to New South Wales, Australia 15
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Robins 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:

Robins Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

William Robins, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Edwin Fox" in 1875
Benjamin Robins, aged 17, a clerk, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Rodney" in 1875
Charles W. Robins, aged 15, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Rodney" in 1875

Contemporary Notables of the name Robins (post 1700) +

Mckeel Robins (b. 1988), American actress and Certified Sommelier, known for Medium (2005), All Things Fall Apart (2011) and Body of Proof (2011)
Major-General Thomas Matthews Robins (1881-1965), American Deputy Chief of Engineers (1943-1945) 16
Charles Armington Robins (1884-1970), American physician and politician, the 22nd Governor of Idaho (1947-1951)
Oliver Robins (b. 1971), American writer, director and former child actor, best known for his role as Robbie Freeling in the 1982 movie Poltergeist
Thomas Ellis Robins KBE, DSO (1884-1962), 1st Baron Robins, American-born British businessman and public servant
Augustine Warner Robins (1882-1940), American brigadier general, namesake to the Air force base and city of Warner Robins in Georgia
Frank E. Robins Jr., American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Arkansas, 1956 17
Ezekiel Robins, American politician, Member of New York State Assembly from New York County, 1797-99, 1800-03 17
Claude R. Robins, American politician, Mayor of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, 1953-55 17
Charles Armington Robins (1884-1970), American Republican politician, Member of Idaho State Senate, 1938-44; Governor of Idaho, 1947-51; Delegate to Republican National Convention from Idaho, 1948 17
... (Another 28 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Historic Events for the Robins family +

HMS Dorsetshire

Walter John Robins (d. 1945), British Stoker 1st Class aboard the HMS Dorsetshire when she was struck by air bombers and sunk; he died in the sinking 18

HMS Hood

Mr. R Anthony C R Robins (b. 1917), English Sub-Lieutenant serving for the Royal Navy Reserve from Sussex, England, who sailed into battle and died in the HMS Hood sinking 19
Mr. Charles V Robins (b. 1919), English Yeoman of Signals serving for the Royal Navy from Battle, Sussex, England, who sailed into battle and died in the HMS Hood sinking 19

HMS Repulse

Mr. Peter E Robins, British Leading Seaman Able Bodied, who sailed into battle on the HMS Repulse (1941) and survived the sinking 20

RMS Lusitania

Mr. T. "Edward Kyle" Robins, English Able-Bodied Seaman, from Liverpool, England, who worked aboard the RMS Lusitania (1915) and died in the sinking 21

RMS Titanic

Mr. Alexander A. Robins (d. 1912), aged 50, English Third Class passenger from St Austell, Cornwall who sailed aboard the RMS Titanic and died in the sinking and was recovered by CS Mackay-Bennett 22
Mrs. Grace Charity Robins (d. 1912), (née Laury), aged 47, English Third Class passenger from St Austell, Cornwall who sailed aboard the RMS Titanic and died in the sinking and was recovered by CS Mackay-Bennett 22

The Robins 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 +

Smith, Eldson Coles, New Dictionary of American Family Names New York: Harper & Row, 1956. Print
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
"Most Common Last Names in Australia." Forebears, https://forebears.io/australia/surnames
"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)
Pilgrim Ship's of 1600's Retrieved January 6th 2023, retrieved from https://www.packrat-pro.com/ships/shiplist.htm
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
Cornwall Online Parish Clerks. (Retrieved 3rd May 2018). Retrieved from http://www.opc-cornwall.org/Resc/pdfs/emigration_ellis_island_1892_on.pdf
Rubincam, Milton. The Old United Empire Loyalists List. Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc, 1976. (Originally published as; United Empire Loyalists. The Centennial of the Settlement of Upper Canada. Rose Publishing Company, 1885.) ISBN 0-8063-0331-X
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 8th July 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/Dick
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 5th November 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/bussorah-merchant
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 5th November 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/burrell
Cornwall Online Parish Clerks. (Retrieved 30th May 2018). Retrieved from http://www.opc-cornwall.org/Resc/pdfs/emigration_australia_convicts.pdf
Generals of World War II. (Retrieved 2014, March 26) Thomas Robins. Retrieved from http://generals.dk/general/Robins/Thomas_Matthews/USA.html
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, December 1) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
Force Z Survivors HMS Dorsetshire Crew List, (Retrieved 2018, February 13th), https://www.forcez-survivors.org.uk/biographies/listdorsetshirecrew.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
HMS Repulse Crew members. (Retrieved 2014, April 9) . Retrieved from http://www.forcez-survivors.org.uk/biographies/listrepulsecrew.html
Lusitania Passenger List - The Lusitania Resource. (Retrieved 2014, March 7) . Retrieved from http://www.rmslusitania.info/lusitania-passenger-list/
Titanic Passenger List - Titanic Facts. (Retrieved 2016, July 13) . Retrieved from http://www.titanicfacts.net/titanic-passenger-list.html