Darben

This famous surname recorded as Darben, Darbon, and Durbin is usually of English origins, although it is said that there has been French influence from a place called D'urban or D'urbin in Languedoc. Taking the English form first as this is proven. The origination is from a medieval phrase "dere barne", meaning dear child, with Alice Derechild appearing in the rolls of Worcester in 1275, and Gilbert Derebarn in the Friary Rolls of Yorkshire in 1277. As regards the French influence, this is probably associated with the later Huguenots who came to England to escape religious persecution during the period from about 1585 to 1750. Their version of the surname has a quite different origin and meaning being derived from the Latin word "urbs", meaning a town but ultimately from "urbanus", meaning a city dweller. The arms of the D'urbin family of Bristol are recorded as "Erminois, on a bend gules, three mullets argent". Marye Durbin was christened in May 1601, at St. Mary Magdalene, Old Fish Street, in the city of London, whilst Elizabeth Darben married Edward Betts at Stoke Newington, on July 1st 1750. Throughout the centuries, surnames in every country have continued to "develop" often leading to astonishing variants of the original spelling.