Show ContentsBibo History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The surname Bibo is derived from a nickname, which itself is derived from the Latin verb "bibere," which meant to drink. The original bearer of the name was a member of the von Hahn family, but he was so fond of his cups that his name was changed to Bibow. 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.

Early Origins of the Bibo family

The surname Bibo was first found in Mecklenburg, where the name could be considered to make a great early contribution to the feudal society which became the backbone of early development of Europe. The name became prominent in local affairs and branched into many houses which played important roles in the savage tribal and national conflicts, each group seeking power and status in an ever changing territorial profile. Chronicles record the founding of this name as follows: The progenitor of the family was of the von Hahn family, but due to the great pleasure he derived from drinking his name was changed to Bibow, a name derived from the Latin word "bibere" meaning to drink. His relatives liked the name so much that they established a Coat of Arms which depicted a rooster sitting on a green cushion. This was a reference to von Hahn, who customarily sat on a green cushion. This coat of arms must have been established before 1390 because in this year Eggerd von Bibave was using a seal composed of a rooster sitting on a cushion. Other chronicles say the name derives from the family seat of Bibow in the district of Luebz in the duchy of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, which the family acquired in 1242.

Early History of the Bibo family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Bibo research. Another 94 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1774 and 1848 are included under the topic Early Bibo History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Bibo Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Bibbow, Bibo, Bibbo, Biboe, Bibboe, Bible, Bibble and others.

Early Notables of the Bibo family

Prominent bearers of the name Bibo at this time were

  • Friedrich von Bibow, a prominent major in the Prussian army, who died in the revolutionary and tumultuous year 1848


Bibo migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Bibo Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Jacob Bibo, age 22, settled in Texas in 1845 aboard the ship "Neptune" 1
  • Mrs. Franziska Bibo, aged 24, German who arrived in Galveston, Texas in 1845 aboard the ship "Neptune"
  • Charles Bibo, who landed in New York, NY in 1850 1
  • Bernhard Bibo, who arrived in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1856

Contemporary Notables of the name Bibo (post 1700) +

  • Solomon Bibo (1853-1934), German-born, Jewish trader in the American Old West who became Governor of Acoma Pueblo
  • Erdal Bibo (b. 1975), Turkish professional basketball player
  • István Bibó (1911-1979), Hungarian lawyer, civil servant, politician and political theorist


  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)


Houseofnames.com on Facebook