The Robinson Name

Robinson is a patronymic name. Broken into its parts, it literally means, 'son of Robin.' Additional spellings of the name include Robenson, Robbison and Robbinson. The first documented Robinsons to land in North America include John Robinson, who settled in Virginia in 1606, fourteen years before the "Mayflower."

I'll run quickly through the particulars of the family name for those interested, with the fair warning: Beware, convolution ahead.

Having said that, here goes. The early American Robinson name is not one of the easier to pinpoint. From my own research, I've found three possible directions when tracing its origins. The American Scots-Irish "Robinson" may either be: one, English in origin; two, Jewish in origin; or three, Norman. If the name is Jewish in origin, then everything is quite simple. Robinson broken into it's parts means 'son of Robin' or 'son of Robbin,' where Robbin/Robin is derived from the Polish, literally meaning rabbi. If your American Robinsons actually began in Poland, became English Jews, then ended up in Scotland, their name translated would literally mean, 'son of the rabbi.'

If instead the name is English in origin, then it's a rather longer road to clarity. The name would still mean 'son of Robin;' however, Robin in this case would be the diminutive of Robert, which is a French name derived from the old German name "Rodbert," which when broken into its parts is derived from "hroth" meaning fame, and "berht" meaning "bright." Essentially, Robinson translated would literally mean, 'son of the famed bright one,' or some such thing. (I did warn you, didn't I?) Actually, this really isn't too large a leap. Robert was an extremely popular name in Normandy during medieval times. After the Norman Conquest in 1066, it became equally popular in England. And in Scotland, several kings would come to be called Robert. Anyone remember Robert the Bruce?

In any event, whether originally Jewish, English, Norman, or all three, never fear. If like me, you're chasing down American Scots-Irish Robinsons, they'll manage to survive it all. The exodus from Poland or the Norman Invasion, the clans of Scotland, the British occupation, the forced resettlements, the cruise to the New World and all the accompanying craziness that would follow. Hurray! I think.

The Robinson coat of arms is green with a gold chevron between three gold stags. The crest is a gold stag emerging from a crown. The family motto, "Foi est tout," means "Faith is everything."

The Robinsons of Scotland are a Gunn Clan Sept. The old Gunn tartan (10kb) is green, black and red on a blue background. The Robinson dress tartan (9kb) is red, blue, black and green.

* The Gaelic word "clan" literally translates into English as 'children.' So, Clan Gunn, in Gaelic would literally mean 'children of Gunn.' In modern times, the clan has become something broader, more in lines with the structure of a tribe. One clan can contain several septs (people with different family names), but everyone in the clan still shares the common bloodline of the clan progenitor for whom the clan is named. Robinson is a sept belonging to the Gunn Clan. They share the common plaid of the Gunn, but have their own dress tartan.

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