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

Robey, 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 Robey surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Robey in America

Robey is the 6381st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Robey surname appeared 5,333 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 2 people would have the surname Robey.

We can also compare 2010 data for Robey 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 Robey

The surname Robey is of English origin and can be traced back to the late 12th century. It is derived from the Old French personal name Robert, which itself comes from the Germanic elements "hrod" meaning "fame" and "berht" meaning "bright." The name was introduced to England after the Norman Conquest of 1066.

The earliest recorded instance of the surname Robey is found in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire in 1195, where it appears as "Robeye." This spelling variation suggests that the name may have originated as a nickname or diminutive form of Robert. Other early spellings include Roby, Robey, Robie, and Robbie.

In the 13th century, the name appeared in various records across England, including the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273, which mention a Thomas Robey in Oxfordshire. The Subsidy Rolls of Sussex from 1296 also contain references to individuals with the surname Robey or similar variations.

During the medieval period, the name Robey was associated with several notable figures. One example is Sir John Robey, a member of the English gentry who lived in the late 14th century and was mentioned in the Court Rolls of Kent.

In the 16th century, the surname Robey was found in various parish records and tax rolls across England. One notable bearer of the name was William Robey, a merchant and alderman from the city of Bristol, who was born in 1520 and died in 1592.

The 17th century saw the emergence of several prominent individuals with the surname Robey. One such figure was Sir Thomas Robey, a lawyer and judge who served as a member of Parliament and Lord Chief Justice of the Common Pleas from 1660 to 1671.

In the 18th century, the name Robey was particularly prevalent in the county of Hertfordshire, where it was associated with several landed families and estates. One notable bearer of the name from this period was John Robey, a wealthy landowner and Member of Parliament for Hertford, who lived from 1720 to 1797.

The 19th century brought forth several notable individuals with the surname Robey, including George Robey, a famous English music hall comedian and actor who was born in 1869 and died in 1954. Another notable figure was Sir Alfred Robey, a successful businessman and philanthropist from Manchester, who lived from 1835 to 1918.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Robey

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

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 Robey 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 Robey 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 Robey was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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