Sabin Family History

English (Warwickshire and Northamptonshire): from the Middle English personal name Sabin (from Latin Sabinus; see 2 below) or its female equivalent Sabine (from Latin Sabina). In medieval England, the feminine form was always more popular as a personal name. French: from the Old French personal name Sabin from Latin Sabinus. The name was originally referred to the Sabines, an ancient Italic people of central Italy whose name is of uncertain origin.

In the 8th century BC, the Romans slaughtered the Sabine menfolk and carried off the women. More influential as far as name-giving is concerned was the existence of several early Christian saints named Sabinus.

Irish: shortened Anglicized form of Gaelic Ó Sabháin ‘descendant of Sabhán’, a personal name based on sabh ‘cub’. As an Irish surname, this has mostly been absorbed into Savage.

Galician: habitational name from either of two places called Sabín in A Coruña and Ourense formed with the name of the ancient owner (villa Sabini). Probably also an Americanized form of some similar (like-sounding) Jewish name.