This interesting and unusual name is of Medieval French origin and derives from the Old French "albin", or "aubin", meaning white. It is a nickname surname probably referring to a person with very fair hair, which is also a given name Albin, the name of several minor early Christian saints, including St. Aubin, bishop of Angers (circa 554). The popularity of the given name was also influenced by the Germanic given name Albuin, compound of the elements "alb", "elf", and "win", friend. In the modern idiom the variant include Aubin and Obin. In the modern idiom the variant include Aubin and Obin. The following examples illustrate the name development after the earliest recording (see below). Gilbert Aubin (1210 Curia Rolls, Norfolk), John Obin (1275 Subsidy Rolls, Worcester), James Aubyn (ibid). The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of Roger Albin, which was dated 1194, in the "Pipe Rolls Worcestershire", during the reign of King Richard 1, known as "The Lionheart", 1189 - 1199. Surnames became necessary when governments introduced personal taxation. In England this was known as Poll Tax. Throughout the centuries, surnames in every country have continued to "develop" often leading to astonishing variants of the original spelling.