This surname of AP ROBIN was a baptismal name 'the son of Ap Robin' a medieval given name of French and English origin and very familiar to Wales. This is a name that was found occasionally in England before the Conquest of 1066, but in the main it was introduced into England by the Normans and quickly became popular among all classes of society. Early records of the name mention Robinus Probator, who was documented in the year 1198, and Richard Robin appears in 1248 in County Yorkshire. Walter Robyn was recorded in 1279 in Oxford. Dera Robins was mentioned in the year 1300 in County Oxford. and William Robyn of County Somerset, was documented during the reign of Edward III (1327-1377). Roger Robynsoun of Yorkshire, was listed in the Yorkshire Poll Tax of 1379. Adam Robyn, 1379 ibid. A later instance of the name mentions William Arthur Robbin who was baptised at St. Peter, Cornhill, London in the year 1606. When the coast of England was invaded by William The Conqueror in the year 1066, the Normans brought with them a store of French personal names, which soon, more or less, entirely replaced the traditional more varied Old English personal names, at least among the upper and middle classes. A century of so later, given names of the principal saints of the Christian church began to be used. It is from these two types of given name that the majority of the English patronymic surnames are derived and used to this day. The name was taken to Scotland by settlers, and Mareoun Robyn was a tenant in Stobo in 1540, and a John Robein was clerk to the council of Stirling in 1616. He appears again in 1618 as Robene. Johannes Robein was the burgess of Peebles in 1624, and a Mr Henry Robin was the Minister at Burntisland in 1730. Most of the European surnames in countries such as England, Scotland and France were formed in the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries. The process had started somewhat earlier and had continued in some places into the 19th century, but the norm is that in the tenth and eleventh centuries people did not have surnames, whereas by the fifteenth century most of the population had acquired a second name. William Probyn was the archdeacon of Caemarthen in 1789.