Show ContentsStubbus History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The name Stubbus is rooted in the ancient Norman culture that arrived in England after the Norman Conquest of England in 1066. It was a name for someone who was a a short or stocky person, having derived from the Old English word stybb, of the same meaning. A broad and miscellaneous class of surnames, nickname surnames referred 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. 1

Early Origins of the Stubbus family

The surname Stubbus was first found in Staffordshire where they were granted lands at Water-Eaton and Bloxwich by William the Conqueror for their assistance at the Battle of Hastings in 1066.

There are elaborate accounts of this family's descent from Belmeis or Beaumeis from Beaumeis-Sur-Dive from Calvados in Normandy through Richard Belmeis, the founder of the family, who was a follower of Roger de Montogomery who was Sheriff of Shropshire and later Bishop of London, about 1100. 2

One of the earliest records of the family was Aelfeah Stybb who was listed in the source Old English Bynames c. 1000. Later Richard Stubbe was a Knights Templar in Yorkshire in 1185. Geoffrey de Stubbes was found in the Pipe Rolls for Norfolk in 1199 and Robert del Stobbes was found in the Assize Rolls for Cheshire in 1288. Roger de Stoppes was listed in the Assize Rolls for London in 1276 and later, Robert Stope was listed in Yorkshire in 1408. 3

Thomas Stubbs (fl. 1373), an English "chronicler, [who] is said by Bale to have been a native of Yorkshire and a Dominican friar. " 4

Early History of the Stubbus family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Stubbus research. Another 118 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1521, 1540, 1544, 1577, 1587, 1624, 1632, 1676, 1714, 1724 and 1806 are included under the topic Early Stubbus History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Stubbus Spelling Variations

Endless spelling variations are a prevailing characteristic of Norman surnames. Old and Middle English lacked any definite spelling rules, and the introduction of Norman French added an unfamiliar ingredient to the English linguistic stew. French and Latin, the languages of the court, also influenced spellings. Finally, Medieval scribes generally spelled words according to how they sounded, so one person was often referred to by different spellings in different documents. The name has been spelled Stubbs, Stubs, Stubbes, Stubb, Stubbe and others.

Early Notables of the Stubbus family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was Leonard Stopes (1540?-1587?), was an English priest, "born about 1540, probably belonged to the branch of the family of Stopes settled at Much Hadham in Hertfordshire, and may have been brother of James Stopes, whose son James, brother of St. Catharine's by the Tower, was rector...
Another 53 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Stubbus Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Ireland Migration of the Stubbus family to Ireland

Some of the Stubbus family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt. More information about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Stubbus family

To escape the political and religious persecution within England at the time, many English families left for the various British colonies abroad. The voyage was extremely difficult, though, and the cramped, dank ships caused many to arrive in the New World diseased and starving. But for those who made it, the trip was most often worth it. Many of the families who arrived went on to make valuable contributions to the emerging nations of Canada and the United States. An inquiry into the early roots of North American families reveals a number of immigrants bearing the name Stubbus or a variant listed above: John Stubb who settled in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1846; Mr. Stubbe, his wife and five children settled in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1792; Daniell and Hontford Stubbs settled in Virginia in 1637.



The Stubbus 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: Cedant arma labori
Motto Translation: Let arms give place to labour


  1. Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
  2. The Norman People and Their Existing Descendants in the British Dominions and the United States Of America. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing, 1975. Print. (ISBN 0-8063-0636-X)
  3. Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
  4. Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print


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