Show ContentsTebbutt History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The name Tebbutt originated with the Anglo-Saxon tribes that once ruled Britain. It is derived from the Old French personal name Theobald, which comes from the Germanic name Theudebald. It probably came to England in the wake of the Norman invasion of 1066, when King William actively encouraged immigration of skilled craftsmen and administrators from the continent. Theobald means "people bold" and was a common continental name. Patronymic surnames arose out of the vernacular and religious given name traditions. The vernacular or regional naming tradition is the oldest and most pervasive type of patronymic surname. According to this custom, names were originally composed of vocabulary elements from the local language. Vernacular names that were derived from ancient Germanic personal names have cognates in most European languages. For example, the court of Charlemagne (742-814) was Christian and Latin-speaking, but the Frankish dialect of Old German was commonly used for personal names. Vernacular names were widespread throughout Normandy. Accordingly, many typical English and French names are in fact, originally of Germanic origin and often have cognates in other European countries. This particular patronym is derived from a diminutive of the name Theobald; a common diminutive of Theobald was Tib, Tib-et is a double diminutive (a diminutive of a diminutive) of the name. 1

Early Origins of the Tebbutt family

The surname Tebbutt was first found in Worcestershire where John Tybote was listed in the Subsidy Rolls for 1327. Later Stephen Tybet was recorded in the Subsidy Rolls for Staffordshire in 1332. Much later in Suffolk, Jaraes Tibbett was listed in 1674. 2

Early History of the Tebbutt family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Tebbutt research. Another 64 words (5 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Tebbutt History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Tebbutt Spelling Variations

One relatively recent invention that did much to standardize English spelling was the printing press. However, before its invention even the most literate people recorded their names according to sound rather than spelling. The spelling variations under which the name Tebbutt has appeared include Tibbits, Tibbets, Tibbit, Tibbet and others.

Early Notables of the Tebbutt family

More information is included under the topic Early Tebbutt Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


Tebbutt migration to the United States +

At this time, the shores of the New World beckoned many English families that felt that the social climate in England was oppressive and lacked opportunity for change. Thousands left England at great expense in ships that were overcrowded and full of disease. A great portion of these settlers never survived the journey and even a greater number arrived sick, starving, and without a penny. The survivors, however, were often greeted with greater opportunity than they could have experienced back home. These English settlers made significant contributions to those colonies that would eventually become the United States and Canada. An examination of early immigration records and passenger ship lists revealed that people bearing the name Tebbutt arrived in North America very early:

Tebbutt Settlers in United States in the 20th Century
  • Louis Tebbutt, aged 43, who settled in America from Cambridge, in 1904
  • Mrs. Tebbutt, aged 38, who immigrated to the United States from Cambridge, in 1904
  • Horace Tebbutt, aged 28, who immigrated to the United States from Bedford, England, in 1907
  • Annie E. Tebbutt, aged 34, who immigrated to the United States from London, England, in 1908
  • Edwin S. Tebbutt, aged 25, who landed in America from Northampton, England, in 1908
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Tebbutt migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Tebbutt Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
  • Mr. Joseph Tebbutt, (b. 1799), aged 35, English baker who was convicted in London, England for life for burglary, transported aboard the "Bengal Merchant" on 27th September 1834, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 3
  • Mr. George Tebbutt, British Convict who was convicted in London, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Asia" on 20th July 1837, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 4
  • Mr. Samuel Tebbutt, (b. 1831), aged 18, Cornish farm labourer from Gwennup, Cornwall, UK travelling aboard the ship "Thetis" arriving in Port Phillip, New South Wales, Australia on 15th February 1849 5
  • Mr. Samuel Tebbutt, (b.1824), aged 25, Cornish agricultural labourer travelling aboard the ship "Thetis" arriving in Port Phillip, Victoria, Australia on 15th February 1849 6

Contemporary Notables of the name Tebbutt (post 1700) +

  • Charles Goodman Tebbutt (1860-1944), English speedskater and bandy player (a form of hockey)
  • Lindsay Tebbutt (d. 2021), Australian rock drummer and songwriter for The Choirboys
  • John Tebbutt (1834-1916), Australian astronomer, credited with discovering the "Great Comet of 1861, eponym of the Tebbutt lunar crater
  • Greg "Truck" Tebbutt (b. 1957), Canadian retired professional NHL ice hockey player who played from 1977 to 1988
  • Carmel Mary Tebbutt (b. 1964), Australian politician, 15th Deputy Premier of New South Wales (2008-2011), Member of the New South Wales Legislative Council (1998-2005)
  • Matt Tebbutt (b. 1973), British chef and television food presenter
  • Michael Tebbutt (b. 1970), Australian tennis player


  1. Harrison, Henry, Surnames of the United Kingdom: A Concise Etymological Dictionary Baltimore: Geneological Publishing Company, 2013. Print
  2. Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
  3. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 7th October 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/bengal-merchant
  4. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 7th February 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/asia/1837
  5. Cornwall Online Parish Clerks. (Retrieved 2018, May 30). Ships' Passenger Lists of Arrivals in New South Wales on (1828 - 1842, 1848 - 1849) [PDF]. Retrieved from http://www.opc-cornwall.org/Resc/pdfs/emigration_nsw_1838_on.pdf
  6. Cornwall Online Parish Clerks. (Retreived 3rd May 2018). Retrieved from http://www.opc-cornwall.org/Resc/pdfs/emigration_australia_victoria.pdf


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