Show ContentsJebbe History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The ancient Anglo-Saxon surname Jebbe came from the baptismal name Geoffery. The surname Jebbe referred to the son of Geoffrey which belongs to the category of patronymic surnames. 1

In Old English, patronyms were formed by adding a variety of suffixes to personal names, which changed over time and from place to place. For example, after the Norman Conquest, sunu and sune, which meant son, were the most common patronymic suffixes. In the 12th and 13th centuries, the most common patronymic names included the word filius, which meant son. By the 14th century, the suffix son had replaced these earlier versions. Surnames that were formed with filius or son were more common in the north of England and it was here that the number of individuals without surnames was greatest at this time.

Early Origins of the Jebbe family

The surname Jebbe was first found in Suffolk, where William Gebbe was listed in the Subsidy Roll for 1327. 2

Early History of the Jebbe family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Jebbe research. Another 81 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1327, 1508, 1694, 1709, 1719, 1735, 1736, 1772, 1775, 1786, 1787 and 1833 are included under the topic Early Jebbe History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Jebbe Spelling Variations

Sound was what guided spelling in the essentially pre-literate Middle Ages, so one person's name was often recorded under several variations during a single lifetime. Also, before the advent of the printing press and the first dictionaries, the English language was not standardized. Therefore, spelling variations were common, even among the names of the most literate people. Known variations of the Jebbe family name include Jebb, Jeb, Jebbe, Gebbe, Gebb and others.

Early Notables of the Jebbe family

Distinguished members of the family include John Jebb (1736-1786), theological and political writer, eldest son of John Jebb, D.D., Dean of Cashel (d. 6 Feb. 1787), by Ann, daughter of Daniel Gansel of Donnyland Hall, Essex, was born in Ireland (Munk says in London) on 16 Feb. 1736. 3 Samuel Jebb (1694?-1772), physician and scholar, born about 1694, probably at Mansfield, Nottinghamshire, was second son of Samuel Jebb, a...
Another 68 words (5 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Jebbe Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Ireland Migration of the Jebbe family to Ireland

Some of the Jebbe family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 37 words (3 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Jebbe family

For political, religious, and economic reasons, thousands of English families boarded ships for Ireland, the Canadas, the America colonies, and many of smaller tropical colonies in the hope of finding better lives abroad. Although the passage on the cramped, dank ships caused many to arrive in the New World diseased and starving, those families that survived the trip often went on to make valuable contributions to those new societies to which they arrived. Early immigrants bearing the Jebbe surname or a spelling variation of the name include: John Jebb, who sailed to America in 1752; Rachel Jebb to America in 1805; Thomas and James Jebb to Philadelphia in 1856; and William Jebb to Philadelphia in 1858..



  1. Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
  2. Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
  3. Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print


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