Robb is a

surname In many societies, a surname, family name, or last name is the mostly hereditary portion of one's personal name that indicates one's family. It is typically combined with a given name to form the full name of a person, although several give ...

Scottish Scottish usually refers to something of, from, or related to Scotland, including: *Scottish Gaelic, a Celtic Goidelic language of the Indo-European language family native to Scotland *Scottish English *Scottish national identity, the Scottish ide ...

origin, formed from a diminution (reduction) of the name

Robert The name Robert is an ancient Germanic given name, from Proto-Germanic "fame" and "bright" (''Hrōþiberhtaz''). Compare Old Dutch ''Robrecht'' and Old High German ''Hrodebert'' (a compound of ''Hrōþ, Hruod'' () "fame, glory, honour, prais ...

. Robert was a popular name, especially after its use by three Scots Kings in the fourteenth century. Rob is first recorded as a surname in the mid-15th century, with a handful of individuals recorded in the decades either side of 1500. As the 16th century progressed there were early groupings in

Aberdeenshire Aberdeenshire (; ) is one of the 32 Subdivisions of Scotland#council areas of Scotland, council areas of Scotland. It takes its name from the Shires of Scotland, historic county of Aberdeenshire (historic), Aberdeenshire, which had substantial ...

Lanarkshire Lanarkshire, also called the County of Lanark (; ), is a Counties of Scotland, historic county, Lieutenancy areas of Scotland, lieutenancy area and registration county in the Central Lowlands and Southern Uplands of Scotland. The county is no l ...

and later in

Perthshire Perthshire (Scottish English, locally: ; ), officially the County of Perth, is a Shires of Scotland, historic county and registration county in central Scotland. Geographically it extends from Strathmore, Angus and Perth & Kinross, Strathmore ...

Stirlingshire Stirlingshire or the County of Stirling ( ) is a Shires of Scotland, historic county and registration county of Scotland. Its county town is Stirling.Registers of Scotland. Publications, leaflets, Land Register Counties. It borders Perthshir ...

. It is likely that the name originated with the offspring of a Robert or Rob, when surnames began to flourish, but unlike some surnames there is no one source for the name. The surname was originally spelled Rob, sometimes Robe, but by 1800 the vast majority of families had added an extra 'b' in common with some other three letter surnames. Despite a number of early English families named Robe, Robb, Robbe and Robbes the surname did not develop in the same way as it did in Scotland. Robe or Robbe is a popular surname in Germany, Holland, Belgium and France and also mainly derives from a diminution of Robert. Rob is also a surname in Slovenia, Croatia and the Czech Republic although the derivation is different. Rob also appears as a popular surname in Bangladesh and Kenya. Although the surname originates in

Scotland Scotland is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It contains nearly one-third of the United Kingdom's land area, consisting of the northern part of the island of Great Britain and more than 790 adjac ...

Protestant Protestantism is a branch of Christianity that emphasizes Justification (theology), justification of sinners Sola fide, through faith alone, the teaching that Salvation in Christianity, salvation comes by unmerited Grace in Christianity, divin ...

branches of the family settled in

Ireland Ireland (, ; ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe. Geopolitically, the island is divided between the Republic of Ireland (officially Names of the Irish state, named Irelan ...

during the sixteenth century Plantations, with the earliest record of the name appearing in Protestant Muster Rolls in the early 1630s. The Robb of Timpany family is thought to have originated with one James Robb who in the late seventeenth century was said to have been a chief mason of the King's Works in Ireland and an assistant of

Inigo Jones Inigo Jones (15 July 1573 – 21 June 1652) was an English architect who was the first significant Architecture of England, architect in England in the early modern era and the first to employ Vitruvius, Vitruvian rules of proportion and symmet ...

. A descendant Captain James Robb built Timpany House in 1780. An armorial Robb family used the surname Robe, descending from Reverend James Robe of Kilsyth (1688–1753), son of Reverend Michael Rob of Cumbernauld (1645–1721), although their coat of arms recorded with the Lord Lyon descends from the Hamilton family through marriage. The Robb Arms are recorded as a 'Paly of eight arg and az, a canton gu' in the early C19th, but it does not appear to have been formally adopted. The Robb crest shows a bare arm holding a chapeau surrounded with a laurel wreath. The vast majority of Robb Crests and 'Coats of Arms' advertised on the internet are false. It appears that many Robbs emigrated to the

New World The term "New World" is used to describe the majority of lands of Earth's Western Hemisphere, particularly the Americas, and sometimes Oceania."America." ''The Oxford Companion to the English Language'' (). McArthur, Tom, ed., 1992. New York: ...

from Ireland, rather than Scotland. The surname apparently became Raab, presumably through the pronunciation, although many Robbs in the New World are originally Raubs of

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany, the country of the Germans and German things **Germania (Roman era) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizenship in Germany, see also Ge ...

origin. Amongst many Scottish settlers, there were three Jacobite soldiers (from Angus and Midlothian) transported to America following the

Jacobite rising of 1715 The Jacobite rising of 1715 ( ; or 'the Fifteen') was the attempt by James Francis Edward Stuart, James Edward Stuart (the Old Pretender) to regain the thrones of Kingdom of England, England, Kingdom of Ireland, Ireland and Kingdom of Scotland ...

, and the first Free Church of Scotland Minister to settle in

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its Provinces and territories of Canada, ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, making it the world's List of coun ...

was the Rev.

Ralph Robb Ralph Robb (22 April 1800 – 5 July 1850) was a Scottish clergyman, the first Free Church of Scotland minister in the New World. He was born in Manor Peebles, a farm within Logie Parish, Perthshire, the ninth of ten children of former mal ...

(1800–1850) a native of Logie parish near Stirling. The William Robb House in Charleston was built by the son of a Scots settler, also from Logie parish. The wealthy merchant and politician, James Hampden Robb, was the son of James Robb a New Orleans banker, himself the son of Samuel Robb (d.1819) from Pennsylvania. The name is often recorded as a

sept A sept () is a division of a family, especially of a Scottish or Irish family. The term is used both in Scotland and in Ireland, where it may be translated as Irish , meaning "progeny" or "seed", and may indicate the descendants of a person ...

of the Clan MacFarlane who were based historically on the eastern side of Loch Lomond, but this only stems from an early inclusion of the surname MacRobb, (which is a Highland surname), as a MacFarlane sept. It is unlikely there was ever a link between the, largely, lowland surname and the highland clan. It is the 192nd (equal) most popular surname in Scotland, judging by births, marriages and deaths in 2018.National Records of Scotland website People with the surname Robb include: * Alfred Robb (1873–1935), Irish physicist * Andrew Robb (born 1951), Australian politician * AnnaSophia Robb (born 1993), American actress, model, and singer *

Archimedes Robb Archimedes Robb (December 8, 1814 – November 24, 1875) was an American politician from Pennsylvania. He served as a member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives, representing Chester County in 1869. Early life Archimedes Robb was born ...

(1814–1875), American politician *

Bruce Robb Bruce Robb is an American musician, record producer, engineer, and music supervisor. He is most recognized for his time as a member of the Robbs during the 1960s, then as a founder of Cherokee Studios in the 1970s; followed by decades of produc ...

(born 1954), American record producer *

Candace Robb Candace Robb (born 1950) is an American historical novelistwhose works are set in medieval England. She has also written under the pen name Emma Campion. Biography Candace Robb was born in North Carolina, grew up in Ohio, and now lives in Seat ...

(born 1959), American author *

Carole Robb Carole Robb (1943) is a British artist and member of the National Academy of Design in New York City. She lives between New York City, Rome, Venice, and London. Early life and education Robb was born in Port Glasgow, Scotland in 1943 and studied ...

(born 1943), Scottish painter *

Chuck Robb Charles Spittal Robb (born June 26, 1939) is an American former U.S. Marine Corps officer and politician who served as the 64th governor of Virginia from 1982 to 1986 and a United States senator representing Virginia from 1989 until 2001. A me ...

(born 1939), American politician *

Curtis Robb Curtis Robb (born 7 June 1972) is a former British middle distance runner, who competed at two consecutive Summer Olympics for Great Britain, in 1992 and 1996. Running career Robb first began running with Liverpool Harriers & AC, a racing t ...

(born 1972), British middle-distance runner *

David Robb David Robb (born 23 August 1947) is a Scottish actor. Early life Robb was born in Wandsworth, London, the son of David Robb and Elsie Tilley. He grew up in Edinburgh and was educated there at the Royal High School, where he played Henry II i ...

(born 1947), British actor *

Douglas Robb (disambiguation) Douglas Robb may refer to: * Douglas J. Robb, physician in the U.S. Air Force * Sir Douglas Robb (surgeon) (1899–1974), New Zealand heart surgeon * Douglas Robb (schoolmaster) Douglas Robert Kenneth Robb (born 3 September 1970) is an English s ...

Ed Robb Ed Robb (July 1, 1942 – September 24, 2011) was a member of the faculty at the University of Missouri, the president of a consulting firm, and a Republican Party (United States), Republican member of the Missouri House of Representatives. He r ...

(1942–2011), American politician * George Robb (disambiguation) * Graham Robb (born 1958), British author * Ian Robb, English folk singer *

Isabel Hampton Robb Isabel Adams Hampton Robb (1859–1910) was an American nursing theory, nurse theorist, author, nursing school administrator and early leader. Hampton was the first Superintendent of Nurses at the Johns Hopkins School of Nursing, wrote several infl ...

(1860–1910), American nursing theorist *

J. Hampden Robb James Hampden Robb (October 27, 1846 – January 21, 1911) was an American merchant and politician from New York (state), New York. Life Robb was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on October 27, 1846. He was the son of James Robb (banker), J ...

(1846–1911), New York politician *

James Robb (disambiguation) James Robb may refer to: *James Robb (politician) (1859–1929), Canadian politician *James Robb (RAF officer) (1895–1968), RAF commander *James Robb (philosopher) (1918–1993), professor of philosophy at Marquette University *Jim Robb (born 193 ...

John Robb (disambiguation) John Robb may refer to: *John Robb (1862–1913), Scottish civil engineer *John Robb (author) (born 1962), American author, military analyst and entrepreneur *John Robb (civil engineer) (1834–1896), Ireland-born contractor and businessman in Austr ...

Lynda Bird Johnson Robb Lynda Bird Johnson Robb (born March 19, 1944) is the elder daughter of the 36th U.S. President Lyndon B. Johnson and former First Lady Lady Bird Johnson. She served as chairwoman of the Board of Reading is Fundamental, the nation's largest childr ...

(born 1944), elder daughter of former American president Lyndon Baines Johnson * Mary Lee Robb (1926–2006), American actress * Monica Robb Blasdel, American politician * Muriel Robb (1878–1907), British tennis player * Natalie J. Robb (born 1974), Scottish actress *

Noël Robb Ruth Noël Robb (born Barrow on 25 December 1913 - January 2009) was a South African activist and member of the Black Sash. Biography Robb was born in Plymouth on 25 December 1913. Robb most often went by her middle name, Noël. She graduated ...

(1913–2009), South African activist * Paul Robb (born 1963), American musician *

Peter Robb (disambiguation) Peter Robb may refer to: * Peter Robb (author) (born 1946), Australian author * Peter Robb (rugby union) (born 1994), rugby union player from Ireland * Peter B. Robb (born 1948), American lawyer; former General Counsel of the National Labor R ...

R. C. Robb Robert Campbell Robb (20 February 1882 – 23 October 1941) was a Northern Irish athlete who competed at the 1908 Summer Olympics. Biography Robb was nicknamed Bertie and was the son of a prominent Belfast merchant Kirker Robb. He compete ...

, British athlete at the 1908 Summer Olympics * Rafael Robb (born 1950), American economist *

(1800–1850), Scottish clergyman *

Richard Robb Richard Alexander Robb FRSE (1901–1977) was a Scottish mathematician, statistician and astronomer. A keen athlete, he won the Scottish 100m sprint and represented Great Britain in the 1928 Summer Olympics, 1928 Olympic Games in Amsterdam on the ...

(1901–1977) Scottish statistician and athlete in the 1928 Olympics * Steven Robb (born 1982), Scottish footballer * Thomas Robb (disambiguation)

References

{{surname, Robb English-language surnames Surnames of Scottish origin

See also

References