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Family History Journey: What is the Origin of My Surname?

teabright

LostCousins Member
My journey into genealogy began with being curious about my surname, which is now my maiden name, "Horobin".

My father was English and he had two different people tell him that they thought it was Russian - one of them thought it could mean "container" and the other thought it could be Russian Jewish, meaning "pestilence". Hmmm. Many years later, my former boss who was multilingual, said that "Horobin" means "the container that holds gunpowder" in Russian, which I actually think is rather fun.

The internet was just making an entrance and the only LDS family history center was in the midst of a maze of freeway that kept me away for fear I would end up in a dangerous part of that town. Although there were no large genealogy websites in the very beginning, I found various genealogy groups and societies to contact, and kind people would send me snippets from censuses or BMD records.

I managed to trace my Horobin line to the 1500s, only because there was a recorded land dispute on the farm in the Peak District that they lived on and off for hundreds of years. In the end, I found out that the Horobin surname is most likely an Anglo Saxon name meaning "grey robin" or "frost (hoar) robin", which is much nicer than "pestilence", isn't it?

As family research goes, it's never ending, because one curiosity leads to another, and it's an endless puzzle and treasure hunt as the branches keep growing.
 
What an interesting story. Thank you. My journey into family history began in the same way - curiosity about my maiden name, Doherty, though it is much more common than yours. It is, however, Irish and as far as I knew I had no Irish connections. And so I started to find out, without a clue about how to go about it nor having anyone I could ask. My father wa no longer alive and I had no Doherty relatives. My early efforts involved a lot of letter writing (pen and ink, pre-internet) and within a remarkably short time I tmanaged to track down my great grandfather to Co. Donegal via Kent. My joy at finding that out had me hooked and I've never looked back.
 
There is a Horrobin (I think with two rs) family in The Archers (long-running [since 1951!] radio drama series on BBC Radio 4, about 19:03 for about 12 minutes, every day other than Saturdays); they are quite prominent (though the name has not survived), the main one now being Susan Carter. I've never met (or encountered in my genealogical researches, for myself or AFAICR anyone else) anyone with that surname.
 
Thank you for that definition! I actually own that book and adore it. (I should edit my original post to say that the surname is likely Old English.)

Oh yes, I recall that there was a Horrobin family in the Archers! I would love to hear those episodes but I don't know if they exist online or not. The double r spelling tends to be more in Lancashire. My branch was mainly in the Staffordshire Peak District (Sheen, Longnor, Crowdicote), but some branches did travel over to Lancashire for work and settle there. Of course, the surname, like so many others, wasn't standardized for centuries, so there were many versions over the years, but the main two contemporary spellings are Horobin and Horrobin. Having an unusual surname does make it a bit easier to research than some other branches with quite common names.
 
I came across the surname when I was a child because a family friend worked at a girls' boarding school in Sussex, and the headmistress was a Miss Horobin. She must have been well liked because apparently the girls nicknamed her "The Robin" rather than "The Horror". As it turns out from the etymology, "The Robin" was very appropriate.
 
That is very funny! Yes, the surname certainly could go either way. My brother was sometimes nicknamed as "Hobe" by some of his friends, and never anything nasty for any of us.
 
Oh yes, I recall that there was a Horrobin family in the Archers! I would love to hear those episodes but I don't know if they exist online or not.
A lot of old ones are, and even if the ones you're after aren't (I'm not sure which) there are plenty of fans who will have them and I'm sure will be happy to share them with you! As I sai, Susan (now Carter) is still a very prominent character, as are many of her offspring.
Having an unusual surname does make it a bit easier to research than some other branches with quite common names.
I often hear this - or its complement, that a common name makes it hard - but it's only one of many lines! I have a friend called Baker, an I was constantly on at him not to obsess with Baker, but to follow all his other lines! For some people, the patriarchical habit is still not dead, and not only because it's easier to follow.
 
I often hear this - or its complement, that a common name makes it hard - but it's only one of many lines! I have a friend called Baker, an I was constantly on at him not to obsess with Baker, but to follow all his other lines! For some people, the patriarchical habit is still not dead, and not only because it's easier to follow.
Good for you!
 
Right, Clive Horrobin is the brother of Susan Carter, as I recall. Yes, by all means, share any episodes that you have. Thank you!

Common names might be more difficult at times, but not always impossible. I have an ancestor named John Johnson who was a Norwegian sailor in Wisconsin (my maternal side). None of that was unique there! I just had the luck that a Norwegian researchers was tracking families leaving from Telemark, and she found my family. It helps to share as much as possible - this format included - because over time, one might get a lucky break.
 
Sorry, I don't have any Archers episodes stored. Plenty recent ones at BBC Sounds - The Archers - Available Episodes, mind. (No recent mention of Clive Horrobin, but George Grundy has just been released from prison.)
There are common names and common names. I once gave up when I got to a Welsh village where the entire village seemed to be called Jones!
 
The link is perfect - thank you!

I think you're right about common names in this case - that's very funny.
 
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