This is an Anglicized form of the Old Gaelic O hUbain. The Gaelic prefix "O" indicates "grandson" or "male descendant of", plus the personal byname Uban of uncertain origin. The O hUbhain sept was a branch of the Cenel Eoghain, an ancient Ulster population group descended from Eoghan, son of Niall of the Nine Hostages, 4th Century High King of Ireland. This sept settled in County Mayo where the name is on record since the late 16th Century. In 1592, Shane O'Howbane of Togher, a carpenter, was noted in records of that county. Several Hubans are mentioned in the 17th Century "Book of survey and Distribution for County Mayo". The name is also well recorded in the Hearth Money Rolls of Counties Tipperary and Kilkenny (1665). Hoban's Bridge in the latter county was named from Hoban, a carrier, who was killed there in 1826. John Hoban (1762-1832) of Carlow, was the architect of the White House in the United states. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of David O'Hubane, a cleric, which was dated 1584, in the Records of Burrishoole, County Mayo, during the reign of Queen Elizabeth 1 of England, "Good Queen Bess", 1558 - 1603. 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.