2000
#6,024
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,257
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.95
Rare Last name
Robin
A surname derived from the French personal name Robin, a diminutive of Robert, meaning "bright fame."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 6,065 Americans carry the last name Robin. That puts it at #6,200 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.77 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 56,513 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Robin surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Robin with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
6.1K
1 in 56,513
Census rank
#6,200
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.8
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
5.3K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 5,289 bearers of the surname Robin in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.77 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 6200th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Robin, the largest self-reported group is White at 74.4%. The next largest groups are Black (10.8%) and Hispanic (6.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Robin
The surname Robin is of French origin, derived from the Old French word "robin" meaning a small bird, specifically the European Robin. The name first emerged in Normandy, northern France, during the 12th century.
The name was likely initially a nickname given to someone who resembled the small, reddish-breasted bird in appearance or behavior. It may have also been used as an occupational name for those who caught or sold robins. The surname spread throughout France and eventually to other parts of Europe and beyond.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Robin can be found in the Rolls of the Parliament of Paris from 1313, which mentions a "Jehan Robin." The Hundred Rolls of 1273 also lists a "Robertus dictus Robin" in Oxfordshire, England.
In England, the surname Robin has been present since at least the 13th century. It was often anglicized as "Robyn" or "Robbins." The Subsidy Rolls of Sussex from 1296 include a "Thomas Robyn," while the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire from 1379 list a "John Robyn."
Some notable historical figures with the surname Robin include:
1. Gilles Robin (c. 1520-1585), a French mathematician and astronomer.
2. Jean Robin (1550-1629), a French botanist and herbalist, best known for his work on the classification of plants.
3. Vespasien Robin (1579-1662), a French lawyer and author of several legal treatises.
4. Claude Robin (1679-1751), a French physician and anatomist, known for his research on the lymphatic system.
5. Jean-Baptiste Robin (1767-1847), a French lawyer and politician who served as a member of the National Convention during the French Revolution.
The name Robin has also been associated with various place names, particularly in France, such as Robin in Normandy, Robion in Provence, and Robinet in Burgundy. These place names may have influenced the spread and evolution of the surname in certain regions.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Robin
Among Census respondents with the surname Robin, the largest self-reported group is White at 74.4%. The next largest groups are Black (10.8%) and Hispanic (6.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Robin bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Robin surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White74.4% · 3,937
- Black or African American10.8% · 570
- Hispanic or Latino6.0% · 316
- Asian and Pacific Islander5.5% · 291
- Two or more races2.8% · 149
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 26
Timeline
Historical Census data for Robin
Robin appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#6,510
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,212
-45 bearers (-0.9%)
Per 100,000 1.77
Rank movement Down 486 places
2020
#6,200
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,289
+77 bearers (+1.5%)
Per 100,000 1.77
Rank movement Up 310 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #6,024 | 5,257 | 1.95 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #6,510 | 5,212 | 1.77 | -45 bearers (-0.9%) | Down 486 places |
| 2020 | #6,200 | 5,289 | 1.77 | +77 bearers (+1.5%) | Up 310 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Robin surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #6,510 | #6,200 | 4.8% |
| Count | 5,212 | 5,289 | 1.5% |
| Per 100K | 1.77 | 1.77 | -0.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Robin bearers went from 5,212 to 5,289 (+1.5% change). The surname moved up 310 positions in the national ranking, going from #6,510 to #6,200.
FAQ
Robin surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Robin?
Name Census estimates that about 6,065 living Americans carry the surname Robin. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 56,513 residents.
How common is Robin?
Robin ranks #6,200 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.77 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 5,289 people with the surname Robin. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (6,065), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.77 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.77 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Robin.
Has Robin become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Robin went from 5,212 recorded bearers to 5,289. That is an increase of 77 (+1.5%). In the national ranking it rose from #6,510 to #6,200.
What does the Census say about the background of Robin?
Among Census respondents with the surname Robin, the largest self-reported group is White at 74.4%. The next largest groups are Black (10.8%) and Hispanic (6.0%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Robin in the 2020 Census, accounting for 74.4% (3,937 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Robin appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (74.4%), Black (10.8%), Hispanic (6.0%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Robin (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Robin mean?
A surname derived from the French personal name Robin, a diminutive of Robert, meaning "bright fame." The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Robin (1.77 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people have the surname Robin?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.