Show ContentsDibble History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The Pictish clans of ancient Scotland were the ancestors of the first people to use the name Dibble. It comes from on the lands of Dipple in Morayshire where the name can be found since very early times. The name means dweller by the hollow and is originally derived from the personal name Theobald.

Early Origins of the Dibble family

The surname Dibble was first found in Moray, where they held a family seat from very ancient times, some say well before the Norman Conquest and the arrival of Duke William at Hastings in 1066 A.D.

Early History of the Dibble family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Dibble research. Another 118 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1328, 1332, 1464, 1476 and 1664 are included under the topic Early Dibble History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Dibble Spelling Variations

Translation has done much to alter the appearance of many Scottish names. It was a haphazard process that lacked a basic system of rules. Spelling variations were a common result of this process. Dibble has appeared Dibble, Dipple, Diball, Dybell, Dyball, Dippel, Diable, Dibel, Dible, Tipple, Tippell, Tibble, Dibbs, Dibben, Dibbens and many more.

Early Notables of the Dibble family

More information is included under the topic Early Dibble Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Dibble Ranking

In the United States, the name Dibble is the 4,783rd most popular surname with an estimated 4,974 people with that name. [1]


United States Dibble migration to the United States +

Many Scots left their country to travel to the North American colonies in search of the freedom they could not find at home. Of those who survived the difficult voyage, many found the freedom they so desired. There they could choose their own beliefs and allegiances. Some became United Empire Loyalists and others fought in the American War of Independence. The Clan societies and highland games that have sprung up in the last century have allowed many of these disparate Scots to recover their collective national identity. A search of immigration and passenger ship lists revealed many early settlers bearing the Dibble name:

Dibble Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
  • Francis Dibble who settled in Massachusetts in 1635
  • Thomas Dibble, who settled in Massachusetts in 1635
  • Thomas Dibble, who landed in Dorchester, Massachusetts in 1637 [2]
  • Abraham Dibble, who arrived in Boston, Massachusetts in 1648 [2]
  • Nathanial Dibble, who settled in Virginia in 1654
Dibble Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • Abenezer Dibble, who landed in America in 1748 [2]
Dibble Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • L D Dibble, who landed in San Francisco, California in 1850 [2]
  • Mrs. S M Dibble, who arrived in San Francisco, California in 1855 [2]

Canada Dibble migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Dibble Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century
  • Mr. Asa Dibble U.E. (b. 1761) born in Cornwall, Litchfield County, Connecticut, USA from New Milford, Connecticut, USA who settled in Oxford County, Upper Canada, Ontario c. 1783 he served in the King's Rangers he died in 1828 on a trip to New York, married to Lois Babbitt they had 8 children [3]
  • Rev. Frederick Dibble U.E. born in Stamford, Connecticut, USA who settled in Saint John, New Brunswick c. 1783 [3]
  • Mr. Walter Dibble U.E. (b. 1764) born in Stamford, Connecticut, USA who settled in Sussex, New Brunswickc. 1783 he died in 1817, listed as a passenger on the Union Transport from New York [3]
  • Mr. Jonathan Dibble U.E. who settled in New Brunswick c. 1784 [3]

Australia Dibble migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Dibble Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
  • Miss Mary Dibble who was convicted in Bristol, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Emma Eugenia" on 25th October 1850, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) [4]
  • William Dibble, aged 44, a miner, who arrived in South Australia in 1854 aboard the ship "Taymouth Castle" [5]
  • Betsy Dibble, aged 22, a servant, who arrived in South Australia in 1854 aboard the ship "Taymouth Castle" [5]
  • Harriet Dibble, aged 21, a servant, who arrived in South Australia in 1855 aboard the ship "Hooghly" [6]

Contemporary Notables of the name Dibble (post 1700) +

  • Dorne Allen Dibble (1929-2018), American football wide receiver for the Detroit Lions (1951, 1953–1957)
  • Sheldon Dibble (1809-1845), American missionary to Hawaii
  • Samuel Dibble (1837-1913), U.S. Representative from South Carolina
  • Harold L. Dibble (b. 1951), American Paleolithic archaeologist, Professor of Anthropology at the University of Pennsylvania
  • Charles E. Dibble (1909-2002), American anthropologist and linguist
  • Isaac H. Dibble, American politician, Member of Connecticut State House of Representatives from Torrington, 1824-25 [7]
  • Fred B. Dibble, American politician, Candidate for Mayor of Hamtramck, Michigan, 1922, 1924 [7]
  • David Dibble Jr., American politician, Member of Connecticut State House of Representatives from Killingworth, 1832-33 [7]
  • D. Scott Dibble, American Democratic Party politician, Member of Minnesota State House of Representatives District 60-B, 2001-; Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Minnesota, 2004 [7]
  • Clark B. Dibble, American Democratic Party politician, Mayor of Flint, Michigan, 1901-02; Candidate for Michigan State Senate 13th District, 1902 [7]
  • ... (Another 22 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)


  1. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  2. Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
  3. Rubincam, Milton. The Old United Empire Loyalists List. Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc, 1976. (Originally published as; United Empire Loyalists. The Centennial of the Settlement of Upper Canada. Rose Publishing Company, 1885.) ISBN 0-8063-0331-X
  4. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 7th April 2022). https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/emma-eugenia
  5. South Australian Register Thursday 4th May 1854. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) Taymouth Castle 1854. Retrieved http://www.theshipslist.com/ships/australia/taymouthcastle1854.shtml
  6. South Australian Register Wednesday 21st February 1855. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) Rodney 1855. Retrieved http://www.theshipslist.com/ships/australia/rodney1855.shtml
  7. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, December 10) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html


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