Hobbes History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

The generations and branches of the Hobbes family share a name that has its roots in the ancient Anglo-Saxon culture of Britain. The name Hobbes comes from the son of Robert. 1 2

"Hob, patronymic Hobbs and Hobson. Naturally these surnames have left many descendants. Owing to its popularity Hob became the everyday term for a country clown." 3

Early Origins of the Hobbes family

The surname Hobbes was first found in Shropshire where the name first entry was as a forename as in Hobbe Litel, who was listed in the Pipe Rolls of 1176. A few years later, Hobb(e) (with no forename) was listed in the Curia Regis Rolls for Northumberland in 1198, the Pipe Rolls for Yorkshire and the Curia Regis Rolls for Worcester in 1205. These entries may be of the same person, but that is doubtful. Moving on, Osbert, Ralph Hobbe was found in the Pipe Rolls for Rutland in 1204, and again in the Pipe Rolls for Warwickshire in 1230. Isabella Hobbes was in the Subsidy Rolls for Worcester in 1327. 4

The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 included: Agnes Hobbis, Huntingdonshire; and John Hobbe, Oxfordshire. 3

In Somerset, John Hobbes and William Hobbeson, were both listed 1 Edward III (during the first year of King Edward III's reign). 5

Later, the Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379 listed: Willelmus Hobbes; Petrus Hobbeson; Willelmus Hobbeson; and Robertus Hobson. 3

Early History of the Hobbes family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Hobbes research. Another 85 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1198, 1529, 1532, 1538, 1569, 1588 and 1679 are included under the topic Early Hobbes History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Hobbes Spelling Variations

Until quite recently, the English language has lacked a definite system of spelling rules. Consequently, Anglo-Saxon surnames are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. Changes in Anglo-Saxon names were influenced by the evolution of the English language, as it incorporated elements of French, Latin, and other languages. Although Medieval scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded, so it is common to find one person referred to by several different spellings of his surname, even the most literate people varied the spelling of their own names. Variations of the name Hobbes include Hobbs, Hobs, Hobbes, Hobis, Hopp, Hoppe, Hopps and many more.

Early Notables of the Hobbes family

Distinguished members of the family include

Robert Hobbes (d. 1538), the last abbot of the Cistercian abbey of Woburn in Bedfordshire, held the office in 1529. "Hobbes was summoned to convocation in November 1529, and in the following January r...
Thomas Hobbs (also spelled Hobbes) (1588-1679), English philosopher, pioneer of modern political science and at one time a mathematics tutor to Charles II. He was the second son of Thomas Hobbes, vica...

Hobbes migration to the United States +

Searching for a better life, many English families migrated to British colonies. Unfortunately, the majority of them traveled under extremely harsh conditions: overcrowding on the ships caused the majority of the immigrants to arrive diseased, famished, and destitute from the long journey across the ocean. For those families that arrived safely, modest prosperity was attainable, and many went on to make invaluable contributions to the development of the cultures of the new colonies. Research into the origins of individual families in North America revealed records of the immigration of a number of people bearing the name Hobbes or a variant listed above:

Hobbes Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Judith Hobbes, who arrived in Virginia in 1637 aboard the ship "Tristram and Jane" 6

Contemporary Notables of the name Hobbes (post 1700) +

Mr. Thomas Hobbes, British sheriff, held the joint position of Sheriff of Nottingham, England from 1523 to 1524
Mr. Henry Hobbes, British sheriff, held the joint position of Sheriff of Nottingham, England from 1498 to 1499

Citations +

Arthur, William , An Etymological Dictionary of Family and Christian Names. London: 1857. Print
Harrison, Henry, Surnames of the United Kingdom: A Concise Etymological Dictionary Baltimore: Geneological Publishing Company, 2013. Print
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Dickinson, F.H., Kirby's Quest for Somerset of 16th of Edward the 3rd London: Harrison and Sons, Printers in Ordinary to Her Majesty, St, Martin's Lane, 1889. Print.
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)