Cubitt History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

The generations and branches of the Cubitt family share a name that has its roots in the ancient Anglo-Saxon culture of Britain. The name Cubitt comes from the personal name Jacob. The surname Cubitt is derived from Cob, which is a pet form of the name Jacob, and is supplemented by the common diminutive suffix -et. Some experts state that the surname Cubitt is a nickname derived from the Old English word cubit, which means elbow. One expert is dumbfounded: "I cannot explain the somewhat common and well-known surname, unless it be a diminutive or corruption of a personal name. " 1

Early Origins of the Cubitt family

The surname Cubitt was first found in Norfolk, where Geoffrey Cobet and Roger Cobet were both listed in the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273. 2

Early History of the Cubitt family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Cubitt research. Another 77 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1400 and 1566 are included under the topic Early Cubitt History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Cubitt 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 Cubitt include Cubitt, Cowbitt, Cobbett, Cubyt, Cubbert, Cubit and many more.

Early Notables of the Cubitt family

Notables of this surname at this time include:

Benedict Cubitt who was listed as bailiff of Yarmouth in the Feet of Fines in 15662...

Cubitt migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Cubitt Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Mrs. Cubitt, British settler travelling from Portsmouth aboard the ship "Duke of Portland" arriving in Auckland, New Zealand on 24th October 1851 3

Contemporary Notables of the name Cubitt (post 1700) +

Clayton James Cubitt (b. 1972), known as Siege, an American photographer, filmmaker and writer from New Orleans, now living in Brooklyn
Sir William Cubitt (1785-1861), English civil engineer from Norfolk, Chief Engineer of Crystal Palace erected at Hyde Park in 1851 4
William Cubitt (1791-1863), English engineering contractor and Conservative Party politician, Lord Mayor of London, brother of Thomas Cubitt, born at Buxton, near Coltishall, Norfolk 4
Thomas Cubitt, English businessman who founded Cubitts Engineering Co. Ltd (c.1815) which produced the Cubbitt, a British motor vehicle manufactured in Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire from 1920 to 1925 (around 3,000 were built)
Colonel William George Cubitt VC DSO (1835-1903), English recipient of the Victoria Cross
Lewis Cubitt (1799-1883), English civil engineer
Joseph Cubitt (1811-1872), English civil engineer who designed the Blackfriars Railway Bridge over the River Thames in London, son of Sir WIlliam Cubitt
James Cubitt (1836-1912), English Victorian church architect who specialized in building non-conformist chapels including Emmanuel Congregational Church in Cambridge (1873) and Union Chapel, Islington (1877)
Tom Cubitt (b. 1950), English actor, known for BBC Sunday-Night Theatre and A Ride on the Donkeys (1959)
Thomas Cubitt (1788-1855), English master builder from Buxton, Norfolk, notable for developing many of the historic streets and squares in London
... (Another 9 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Citations +

Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. 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)
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
Wikisource contributors. "Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900." Wikisource . Wikisource , 4 Jun. 2018. Web. 30 June 2020