Show ContentsDibdin History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Early Origins of the Dibdin family

The surname Dibdin was first found in Hampshire at Dibden, a small village that is listed in the Domesday Book of 1086 as Depedene and was held by Odo of Winchester at that time. 1

The name Dibden is from the Old English words "deop" + "denu" which collectively meant "deep valley." 2 "This place, the name of which, anciently Depedene, was descriptive of its situation in a thickly wooded dell, was of some importance at the time of the Conquest." 3

The first record of the family was Geoffrey de Depeden, Norfolk, c. 1150 as listed in the History of Norfolk. Later, the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 listed Randolph de Depeden in Oxfordshire. 4

In 1332 Thomas Dybyn was listed as holding estates in the Dibden, Hampshire area. The Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379 list Ricardus Depeden. 4

The Subsidy Rolls for Dorset included a listing for Thomas Dybyn in 1332 and later Thomas Dybben was found in the Subsidy Rolls for Warwickshire in 1476. William Dibben was later found in Somerset in 1664. 5

Early History of the Dibdin family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Dibdin research. Another 126 words (9 lines of text) covering the years 1455, 1476, 1487, 1664, 1745, 1813, 1833, 1866 and 1903 are included under the topic Early Dibdin History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Dibdin Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Dibbin, Dibbon, Dibden, Dibbon, Debbin, Debbon, Dibben, Dybben, Dybbyn, Dibbyn, Dibdin, Dipden, Dipdon, Dipdan, Dippen and many more.

Early Notables of the Dibdin family

Distinguished members of the family include

  • Charles Dibdin, the son of a silversmith at Southampton, where he was born March 15, 1745, his mother being in her fiftieth year and he being her eighteenth child. His grandfather was a considerable m...
  • Henry Edward Dibdin, the youngest son of Charles Dibdin the younger, was born in the 'Dibdins' house,' Sadler's Wells, Sept. 8, 1813. He acquired his first knowledge of music from his eldest sister, M...

Migration of the Dibdin family

Some of the first settlers of this family name or some of its variants were: the name represented in many forms and recorded from the mid 17th century in the great migration from Europe. Migrants settled in the eastern seaboard from Newfoundland, to Maine, to Virginia, the Carolinas, and to the islands. Many settlers arrived in Newfoundland..


Contemporary Notables of the name Dibdin (post 1700) +

  • Thomas Frognall Dibdin (1776-1847), English bibliographer, born in Calcutta to Thomas Dibdin, the sailor brother of the composer Charles Dibdin
  • Thomas John Dibdin (1771-1841), English dramatist, song-writer, prompter and pantomime writer at Theatre Royal, Drury Lane 6
  • Charles Dibdin (1745-1814), English dramatist and song-writer, born at Southampton on or before 4 March 1745, best known as the composer of the song Poor Tom Bowling 6
  • Charles Isaac Mungo Dibdin the Younger (1768-1833), also known as Charles Pitt, an English dramatist, composer, writer and theatre proprietor
  • Sir Lewis Tonna Dibdin (1852-1938), English ecclesiastical lawyer, Dean of the Arches
  • Michael Dibdin (1947-2007), British crime writer


  1. Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
  2. Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
  3. Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
  4. Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
  5. Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
  6. Wikisource contributors. "Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900." Wikisource . Wikisource , 4 Jun. 2018. Web. 30 June 2020


Houseofnames.com on Facebook