Robinson Surname

Meaning and origin of the surname Robinson

Patronymic surname meaning 'son of Robin', Robin being the primary medieval diminutive and pet name for Robert (Germanic Hrodebert, 'bright fame').

Historically and linguistically, Robinson belongs to the English and Scottish family of surnames. It is conventionally pronounced "ROB-in-suhn".

United States Census frequency and ranking

In the official 2010 United States Census, Robinson was recorded 529,821 times, ranking as the 30th most common surname in the nation.

This represents an incidence rate of approximately 179.61 bearers per 100,000 Americans, or roughly 1 out of every 557 residents.

Race and ethnicity distribution

According to official decennial Census genealogy microdata, individuals bearing the surname Robinsonreported the following racial and ethnic affiliations in the 2010 US Census:

Source: US Census Bureau, 2010 Census Surnames Data. Percentages may not sum to exactly 100% due to independent rounding or suppression of small cell counts for privacy protection.

History of the surname Robinson

Robinson derives from Robin, an affectionate hypocorism of the Norman French given name Robert (from Germanic Hrod-berht, 'fame-bright'), formed with the popular diminutive suffix -in. Combined with the patronymic suffix -son, the name indicated 'son of Robin'. It was recorded in English subsidy rolls as early as 1324 in Yorkshire (John Robynson).

The surname was heavily concentrated in northern England (particularly Yorkshire, Lancashire, and Cumberland) and the Scottish Lowlands. In folklore and literature, the name was permanently immortalized by Daniel Defoe's 1719 adventure novel Robinson Crusoe, which made Robinson one of the most recognized English names globally.

Robinson arrived in early Virginia and New England colonies, expanding rapidly through nineteenth- and twentieth-century migrations. Borne by athletic and cultural pioneers including baseball legend Jackie Robinson (1919–1972), Robinson ranked as the 30th most common surname in the 2010 US Census, recorded 529,821 times (179.61 per 100,000 Americans).

Notable people with the surname Robinson

• Jackie Robinson (1919–1972), First African American to play Major League Baseball in the modern era
• Smokey Robinson (1940–), American singer, songwriter, and founder of The Miracles
• Mary Robinson (1944–), First female President of Ireland and UN High Commissioner for Human Rights
• David Robinson (1965–), American former NBA center and two-time Olympic gold medalist