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

Robison, 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 Robison surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Robison in America

Robison is the 1392nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Robison surname appeared 25,450 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 9 people would have the surname Robison.

We can also compare 2010 data for Robison 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 Robison

The surname Robison has its origins in medieval Scotland, where it was derived from the old Scottish name Robertson, which translates to "son of Robert." The name Robert itself is derived from the Germanic elements "hrod" (meaning "fame" or "renown") and "berht" (meaning "bright" or "famous").

The Robison surname first emerged in the 12th century, with early recordings found in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, which documented Scottish landowners who pledged allegiance to King Edward I of England. The name was particularly prevalent in the regions of Ayrshire and Berwickshire, where it was often associated with prominent families and landowners.

In the 14th century, the name appeared in the Exchequer Rolls of Scotland, a historical record of financial transactions and legal proceedings. One notable entry was that of John Robison, who served as a chamberlain to King David II in 1367.

The earliest recorded spelling variation of the name was "Robisoune," which appeared in the Ragman Rolls of 1296. Other early spellings included "Robysone," "Robisoyn," and "Robysoun."

Over the centuries, the Robison surname has been associated with several notable individuals. One of the earliest was James Robison, a Scottish mathematician and philosopher who lived from 1739 to 1805. He was a professor at the University of Edinburgh and is best known for his work in the fields of natural philosophy and mechanics.

Another prominent figure was George Robison (1737-1801), a Scottish physicist and philosopher who was a pioneer in the field of optics. He served as a professor of natural philosophy at the University of Glasgow and was a member of the Royal Society of Edinburgh.

In the literary realm, Frederick Robison (1861-1937) was a Scottish author and journalist who wrote several books, including "Twixt Ben Nevis and Glencoe" and "The Life of a Scottish Probationer."

The American politician James Robison (1835-1924) was a member of the United States House of Representatives from Indiana, serving from 1891 to 1895.

More recently, Dr. James Robison (born 1943) is an American author, evangelist, and founder of the Christian relief organization Life Outreach International.

While the Robison surname has evolved over time and spread across various countries, its roots can be traced back to the medieval Scottish Highlands, where it was deeply connected to the history and culture of the region.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Robison

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

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

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

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