Welcome to the worldwide One-Name Study for the surname Corbin.   I started researching the Corbin surname over 20 years ago while working on my own family history.  After hitting a roadblock, I started collecting occurrences of the Corbin last name wherever I came across it, with the hopes of finding a breakthrough.   The bulk of the research done so far has been in the country of Barbados, which is where my roots are.    This One-Name study is currently in it's early stages.  As time goes on, this research project and the database will continue its expansion into other countries as well.

For every website with a surname study or those selling Family Crest and Coat of Arms merchandise, you’ll find a different source for the origin of the Corbin name.  Research shows that there is currently more than one possibility, however one thing that most researchers do agree on is that the surname is an old one and goes back many centuries. The name Corbin is originally derived from the Old French word “corbeau”, which means “raven”.   You will find ravens on the Corbin Coat of Arms, as well as mentioned in the surname’s motto “Deus pascil carvas” which translates to “God feeds the ravens”.  The name may have arrived in England after the Norman conquest of 1066.

The derivation of surnames is usually classified as one of four main types:  Location Names (topographical and habitational), Occupational Names, Nicknames and Patronymics.  The two main possible sources for the Corbin surname are as follows:

1. Nickname:  When surnames evolved in the middle ages, people often derived a name from a nickname, usually reflecting the physical characteristics of a person.  As Corbin is a name derived from the Old French word of “corbeau” meaning “raven”, the name Corbin is believed to be a nickname for a person with glossy dark hair, a raucous voice, or a dark complexion.
2. Location: A surname may be of a local origin, from a place where a person once lived or where they owned land. The Corbin name most likely originated from Normandy, France.  It may be derived from from Corbon in Orne or Corbon in Calvados, France.  Other possibilities include a place in Glencreran, Scotland, where “Corbin” is derived from a Gaelic term meaning “a steep hill”, or a locality name meaning “of Corbin” from a place in the West Country, England.

The Corbin surname is found worldwide, with the highest incidence amounts in the United States, France, Canada, England and Barbados.  Currently, the United States has the largest amount of people with the Corbin surname.  However, it may be surprising for some to learn that Barbados has the highest frequency amount of the surname.  This means that as a ratio, as graded against other surnames in the country, Barbados has the highest percentage of it's population with this name in the world.