Corbin
An English surname with mixed roots: it may come from a place-name, or from a nickname or personal name meaning “crow.”
The #1,307 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 11,488 Americans shares it.
Etymology
The surname Corbin has more than one possible origin. Some historical sources treat it as a locational name, probably from a Norman place-name, while others connect it with Old French corbin, meaning “crow,” used either as a nickname or as a personal name. The evidence suggests that more than one family line may have adopted the surname independently.
History
Medieval records show Corbin in England fairly early, including in Devon and other western counties, which supports an early Norman or Anglo-Norman presence. Nineteenth-century surname scholars disagreed on the exact source, some preferring a place-name origin and others noting a baptismal or nickname source. The surname later established itself in England and has since spread widely in the English-speaking world, especially in North America.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
Some old surname books explicitly say there were likely two separate origins for Corbin, not just one.
From the historical record
“London, 37, 1,0 ; Bouaa(D.S.),7l, o, I. Corbin, Corbyn-— Local, 'of Corbin.' I cannot identifythe place. r ime. Hen.”
— A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames, with special American instances