Show ContentsTeebay History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Etymology of Teebay

What does the name Teebay mean?

The name Teebay 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 Teebay family

The surname Teebay 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 Teebay family

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

Teebay 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 Teebay has appeared include Tibbits, Tibbets, Tibbit, Tibbet and others.

Early Notables of the Teebay family

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

Migration of the Teebay family

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 Teebay arrived in North America very early: B. H, E, J.T. L.C. W. Tibbets all arrived in San Francisco in 1853; Doctor Tibbets and his wife settled in San Francisco in 1852; Mathew Tibbit settled in Virginia in 1751..


Contemporary Notables of the name Teebay (post 1700) +

  • Andrew Teebay, British politician, Liberal Democrat candidate for Birchfield in the 2024 Halton Borough Council election


  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)


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