| ![Show Contents]() Theobal History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
- Origins Available:
 England The Theobal family name is linked to the ancient Anglo-Saxon culture of Britain. Their name comes from the baptismal name Theobald,which was an ancient personal name. After the Norman Conquest, the Old English naming system gradually dissolved. Old English names became less common and were replaced by popular continental European names. "In the 13th century century Tibbe was used as a pet-name for both men and women, from Isabel or Tibald (Theobald). The latter interchanged with Tebbe." 1 Early Origins of the Theobal familyThe surname Theobal was first found in the Domesday Book of 1086; several bearers of Theobal as a personal name were recorded as landowners after the Norman Conquest, particularly in Huntingdonshire, Cambridgeshire, and Suffolk. The first recorded instance as a surname occurred in 1199, where Tomas Teobald was living in Gloucestershire. Theobald or Tedbaldus (d. 1161), was Archbishop of Canterbury and came of a Norman family of knightly rank who settled near Thierceville, in the neighbourhood of Bec Hellouin. "He became a monk of Bec between 1093 and 1124, was made prior in 1127, and elected abbot in 1137. The see of Canterbury having been vacant since the death of William of Corbeil in 1136, the prior of Christ Church and a deputation of monks were summoned before King Stephen and the legate Alberic, and on 24 Dec. 1138 elected Theobald archbishop. " 2 Early History of the Theobal familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Theobal research. Another 85 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1199, 1601, 1688, 1744 and 1760 are included under the topic Early Theobal History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Theobal Spelling VariationsUntil the dictionary, an invention of only the last few hundred years, the English language lacked any comprehensive system of spelling rules. Consequently, spelling variations in names are frequently found in early Anglo-Saxon and later Anglo-Norman documents. One person's name was often spelled several different ways over a lifetime. The recorded variations of Theobal include Theobald, Theobalds, Diebold, Theobold, Tubald, Tudball, Dipple, Diebald, Teupel, Diepelt, Dewalt and many more. Early Notables of the Theobal familyNotables of this surname at this time include: - Robert Theobald (c.1601), a Latin poet
- Lewis Theobald (1688-1744), was an English author most known for "Shakespeare Restored," a work exposing the inaccuracies of Alexander Pope's edition of Shakespeare; and John Theobald (d. 1760), was a...
Migration of the Theobal familyThousands of English families boarded ships sailing to the New World in the hope of escaping the unrest found in England at this time. Although the search for opportunity and freedom from persecution abroad took the lives of many because of the cramped conditions and unsanitary nature of the vessels, the opportunity perceived in the growing colonies of North America beckoned. Many of the settlers who survived the journey went on to make important contributions to the transplanted cultures of their adopted countries. The Theobal were among these contributors, for they have been located in early North American records: Jon Dipple, who settled in Virginia in 1636; John Henry Dewalt, who was living in Pennsylvania in 1772; Henry Dipple, who was naturalized in Mississippi in 1822.
- Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
- Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
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