Find out how popular the last name Robbins is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Robbins.

Robbins, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Robbins surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Robbins in America

Robbins is the 410th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Robbins surname appeared 78,381 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 27 people would have the surname Robbins.

We can also compare 2010 data for Robbins to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Robbins

The surname Robbins originated in England, deriving from the Old French personal name Robin, which was a diminutive of the name Robert. The earliest recorded use of the name dates back to the 12th century.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name is found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Robins" and "Robyns." This suggests that the name was already well-established in England by the time of the Norman Conquest in 1066.

The name Robbins is believed to have initially been an occupational surname, referring to individuals who worked in the trade of dyeing or weaving fabrics with a reddish-brown color known as "robin." This color was derived from the robin bird's distinctive red breast.

During the Middle Ages, the name was also associated with certain place names, such as Robinswood in Gloucestershire and Robinston in Yorkshire. These names likely originated from individuals bearing the surname who resided in or owned land in those areas.

Notable individuals with the surname Robbins include:

1. John Robbins (c. 1585-1644), an English Puritan clergyman and one of the founders of the Massachusetts Bay Colony.
2. Thomas Robbins (1777-1856), an American Congregational minister and author from Connecticut.
3. Archibald Robbins (1801-1874), an American jurist and politician from New Jersey who served as a United States Senator.
4. Wilbur Robbins (1916-1997), an American pitcher in Major League Baseball who played for the Detroit Tigers and the Philadelphia Athletics.
5. Marlon Robbins (1917-1982), an American singer, actor, and multi-talented performer famous for his roles in Western films.

The surname Robbins has also been associated with various historical figures and events throughout England's history, further solidifying its place as a well-established English surname with deep roots.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Robbins

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Robbins.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Robbins was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Robbins has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Robbins was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Robbins, please contact us.

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