Obbert History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
France
Ireland
Scotland

The name Obbert was spawned by the ancient Anglo-Saxon culture that ruled a majority of Britain. It comes from the baptismal name Hubert. 1 As the naming tradition grew in Europe baptismal names began to be introduced in many countries. Baptismal names were sometimes given in honour of Christian saints and other biblical figures. There are very few Christian countries in Europe that did not adopt surnames from these religious figures.

However, another source claims the name could have been a nickname "from the small Falcon or Hawk so called (Old French hobert, a hobby, hawk)." 2

Early Origins of the Obbert family

The surname Obbert was first found in Norfolk as "Hubbard is a characteristic Norfolk name. The early form of the name in this and the neighbouring counties, both in Domesday times and in the centuries immediately following, was Hubert, occasionally written Huberd; and we find that Robert Hubert or Hoberd was rector of Seaming at the close of the 14th century." 3

Over in Yorkshire, the Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379 listed: Petrus Hubard; Alicia Hubard; Isabella Hoberd; and William Hoberd as all residing there at that time.

"The Visitation of Essex (1541) gives the surname of the family of Huberd indiscriminately as Huberd, Hobert, Hubert, and Hobart. Memorials of a family spelt indifferently Hubbard or Hobart are (or were) to be found in Little Plumstead Church, Norfolk." 1

Some of the family did migrate to Scotland, but much later on and in small numbers: "Patrick Hobart, was burgess of Dundee in 1649." 4

Early History of the Obbert family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Obbert research. Another 177 words (13 lines of text) covering the years 1190, 1507, 1560, 1588, 1593, 1611, 1621, 1624, 1625, 1626, 1628, 1632, 1647, 1654, 1656, 1657, 1667, 1683, 1695, 1699, 1746, 1756 and 1797 are included under the topic Early Obbert History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Obbert Spelling Variations

Obbert has been spelled many different ways. Before English spelling became standardized over the last few hundred years, spelling variations in names were a common occurrence. As the English language changed in the Middle Ages, absorbing pieces of Latin and French, as well as other languages, the spelling of people's names also changed considerably, even over a single lifetime. Many variations of the name Obbert have been found, including Hobart, Habart, Habbard, Hobert and others.

Early Notables of the Obbert family

Notables of this surname at this time include: Sir James Hobart (d. 1507) of Monks Eleigh, Suffolk, Attorney General during the reign of King Henry VII. , He was the youngest son of Thomas Hobart of Leyham in Norfolk. 5Sir Henry Hobart, 1st Baronet SL (c. 1560-1625), of Blickling Hall, an English judge and politician. He was Chief Justice of the Common Pleas, from a family long settled in Norfolk and Suffolk, was great-grandson of Sir James Hobart. [q. v.].He was the son of Thomas Hobart of Plumstead, Norfolk. 5He would establish the first of the two baronetcies for the Hobart...
Another 110 words (8 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Obbert Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Obbert family to Ireland

Some of the Obbert family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 34 words (2 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 Obbert family

In an attempt to escape the chaos experienced in England, many English families boarded overcrowded and diseased ships sailing for the shores of North America and other British colonies. Those families hardy enough, and lucky enough, to make the passage intact were rewarded with land and a social environment less prone to religious and political persecution. Many of these families became important contributors to the young colonies in which they settled. Early immigration and passenger lists have documented some of the first Obberts to arrive on North American shores: Edmund Hobart settled in Charleston in 1630; Joshua, Jeremiah, Peter, Sarah, and Thomas Hobart settled in Boston in 1635.

The Obbert Motto +

The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.

Motto: Auctor pretiosa facit
Motto Translation: The Giver makes them valuable.

Citations +

Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
Harrison, Henry, Surnames of the United Kingdom: A Concise Etymological Dictionary Baltimore: Geneological Publishing Company, 2013. Print
Guppy, Henry Brougham, Homes of Family Names in Great Britain. 1890. Print.
Black, George F., The Surnames of Scotland Their Origin, Meaning and History. New York: New York Public Library, 1946. Print. (ISBN 0-87104-172-3)
Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print