Show ContentsBabel History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The surname Babel is derived from the nickname "boebel", an Old German word meaning small. The original bearer of the name was someone who was noted for their diminutive size. A broad and miscellaneous class of surnames, nickname surnames refer to a characteristic of the first person who used the name. They can describe the bearer's favored style of clothing, appearance, habits, or character.

Early Origins of the Babel family

The surname Babel was first found in the duchy of Wuerttemberg, where the family came from humble beginnings but gained a significant reputation for its contribution to the emerging mediaeval society. It later became more prominent as many branches of the same house acquired distant estates and branches, some in foreign countries, always elevating their social status by their great contributions to society. The name originates from "Boebel," a word which referred to something small. Chronicles first mention Wernhard dictus Bebele, who was born in Frankfurt around 1307. Ancient chronicles also mention Hans der Bebler (c.1376) of Waldshut, Hans Baebler (c.1358) of Aargau, and Hans Boebel (c.1480) of Wuerttemberg.

Early History of the Babel family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Babel research. Another 151 words (11 lines of text) covering the years 1472, 1501, 1518, 1690, 1723, 1793, 1804, 1856, 1869 and 1913 are included under the topic Early Babel History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Babel Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Bebel, Bebele, Bebler, Bebbel, Bebell, Bebels, Boebel, Boebbel, Boebell, Baebel, Baebler, Baebele, Baebell, Babel, Babell, Babler, Babels, Bobe, Bobel, Bobell, Boebe, Bebe, Baebe and many more.

Early Notables of the Babel family

Notables with the surname Babel during this period were

  • William Babell (c1690-1723) was a renowned harpsichordist, whose virtuoso arrangements of operatic arias gained him widespread fame...


United States Babel migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Babel Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • Johan Daniel Babel, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1750 [1]
Babel Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Thomas Babel, who settled in New York City in 1823
  • Annie Babel, aged 30, who settled in America, in 1892
  • Anna Babel, aged 20, who landed in America, in 1895
Babel Settlers in United States in the 20th Century
  • Albert Babel, aged 30, who immigrated to the United States, in 1905

Contemporary Notables of the name Babel (post 1700) +

  • Paul Babel, American Democratic Party politician, Candidate for New Hampshire State House of Representatives from Manchester 1st Ward, 1938 [2]
  • Isaac Emmanuelovich Babel (1894-1940), Russian writer


  1. 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)
  2. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, December 10) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html


Houseofnames.com on Facebook