Show ContentsDaub History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

In the ancient German province of Westphalia, the surname Daub evolved. It is a nickname, a style of hereditary surname that developed out of the traditional German eke-names, that identified people by naming them after a physical characteristic or other identifiable trait. Daub is a name for a mild and gentle person. The name was originally derived from the Old German word tuba, and German tube, which meant pigeon or dove. Often nicknames described strong traits or attributes that people wished to emulate in a specific animal. In the pre-Christian era, many pagan gods and demigods were believed to be a mixture of animals and humans, such as the Greek god Pan who was the god of flocks and herds and was represented as a man with the legs, horns and ears of a goat. In the Middle Ages, anthropomorphic ideas, which attributed human qualities and form to gods or animals, were held about the characters of other living creatures. They were based on the creature's habits. Moreover, these associations were reflected in folk tales, mythology, and legends which portrayed animals behaving as humans.

Early Origins of the Daub family

The surname Daub was first found in Westphalia, where the name emerged in mediaeval times as one of the notable families of the region. From the 13th century the surname was identified with the great social and economic evolution which made this territory a landmark contributor to the development of the nation.

Early History of the Daub family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Daub research. Another 201 words (14 lines of text) covering the years 1221, 1572, 1594, 1638, 1652, 1659, 1676 and 1816 are included under the topic Early Daub History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Daub Spelling Variations

One can encounter great variation in the spelling of surnames: in early times, spelling in general, and thus the spelling of names was not yet standardized; and later, spellings would change with branching and movement of families. Variations of the name Daub include Taube, Taub, Towbe, Towb, Toube, Tauble, Daube and others.

Early Notables of the Daub family

Another 39 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Daub Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Daub Ranking

In the United States, the name Daub is the 15,213rd most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 1


Daub migration to the United States +

Many Germans emigrated across the Atlantic to seek better lives in North America. This great migration began in the middle of the 17th century and continued into the 20th century. Resettlement was particularly attractive to those from Westphalia as a means of escape from poverty and religious persecution. For many Westphalian farmers, the chance to own one's own land was also a major incentive. The process of the widespread colonization of the United States began in 1650, when many immigrants from Germany settled in pockets in Pennsylvania, Texas, New York, Illinois, and California. In Canada, German settlements centered around Ontario and the Prairie provinces. Among them:

Daub Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • Michel Daub, who arrived in New York in 1709 2
  • Peter Daub, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1738 2
  • Wilhelm Daub, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1738 2
  • Nicklaus Daub, who landed in America in 1752 2
  • Nisklaus Daub, who landed in America in 1752 2
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Daub Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • John Daub, who arrived in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1850 2
  • Jacob Daub, who arrived in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1863 2

Contemporary Notables of the name Daub (post 1700) +

  • Daniel William Daub (1868-1951), American Major League Baseball pitcher who played from 1892 to 1897
  • Eugene Daub, American contemporary figure sculptor
  • Harold John "Hal" Daub Jr. (1941-1981), American lawyer and politician, Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Nebraska (1981-1989), Mayor of Omaha, Nebraska (1995-2001)
  • Karl Daub (1765-1836), German Protestant theologian
  • Ewald Daub (1889-1946), German silent film cinematographer


  1. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  2. 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