Show ContentsTibbs History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Etymology of Tibbs

What does the name Tibbs mean?

The Tibbs name is an important part of the history of the ancient Anglo-Saxon tribes of Britain. Tibbs is derived from the baptismal name Theobald,which was an ancient personal name. After the Norman Conquest, the Old English naming system gradually dissolved. Old English names became less common and were replaced by popular continental European names.

"In the 13th century century Tibbe was used as a pet-name for both men and women, from Isabel or Tibald (Theobald). The latter interchanged with Tebbe." 1

Early Origins of the Tibbs family

The surname Tibbs was first found in the Domesday Book of 1086; several bearers of Tibbs as a personal name were recorded as landowners after the Norman Conquest, particularly in Huntingdonshire, Cambridgeshire, and Suffolk. The first recorded instance as a surname occurred in 1199, where Tomas Teobald was living in Gloucestershire.

Theobald or Tedbaldus (d. 1161), was Archbishop of Canterbury and came of a Norman family of knightly rank who settled near Thierceville, in the neighbourhood of Bec Hellouin. "He became a monk of Bec between 1093 and 1124, was made prior in 1127, and elected abbot in 1137. The see of Canterbury having been vacant since the death of William of Corbeil in 1136, the prior of Christ Church and a deputation of monks were summoned before King Stephen and the legate Alberic, and on 24 Dec. 1138 elected Theobald archbishop. " 2

Early History of the Tibbs family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Tibbs research. Another 85 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1199, 1601, 1688, 1744 and 1760 are included under the topic Early Tibbs History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Tibbs Spelling Variations

Before the last few hundred years, the English language had no fast system of spelling rules. For that reason, spelling variations are commonly found in early Anglo-Saxon surnames. Over the years, many variations of the name Tibbs were recorded, including Theobald, Theobalds, Diebold, Theobold, Tubald, Tudball, Dipple, Diebald, Teupel, Diepelt, Dewalt and many more.

Early Notables of the Tibbs family

Another 46 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Tibbs Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Tibbs Ranking

In the United States, the name Tibbs is the 3,136th most popular surname with an estimated 9,948 people with that name. 3


Tibbs migration to the United States +

To escape oppression and starvation at that time, many English families left for the "open frontiers" of the New World with all its perceived opportunities. In droves people migrated to the many British colonies, those in North America in particular, paying high rates for passages in cramped, unsafe ships. Although many of the settlers did not make the long passage alive, those who did see the shores of North America perceived great opportunities before them. Many of the families that came from England went on to make essential contributions to the emerging nations of Canada and the United States. Research into various historical records revealed some of first members of the Tibbs family emigrate to North America:

Tibbs Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
  • Michaell Tibbs, who arrived in Virginia in 1637 4
Tibbs Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • Samll Tibbs, who landed in Boston, Massachusetts in 1712 4
Tibbs Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Mr. F. Tibbs, aged 30, who settled in America from London, in 1894
  • Edward Tibbs, aged 43, who immigrated to America, in 1895
  • Fredk. Tibbs, aged 37, who immigrated to the United States, in 1896
Tibbs Settlers in United States in the 20th Century
  • Jane Tibbs, aged 21, who settled in America from London, in 1901
  • Daria Tibbs, aged 21, who landed in America from Belfast, Ireland, in 1904
  • Ann Tibbs, aged 80, who settled in America from Hebburn, England, in 1908
  • Frederick Tibbs, aged 36, who landed in America from Birkenhead, England, in 1910
  • J. Gregory Tibbs, aged 31, who landed in America from Bristol, England, in 1911
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Tibbs migration to Australia +

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

Tibbs Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
  • Mr. William Tibbs, British Convict who was convicted in Middlesex, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Commodore Hayes" in April 1823, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 5
  • Mr. William Tibbs, English convict who was convicted in Southampton, Hampshire, England for life, transported aboard the "Claudine" on 19th August 1829, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 6
  • George Tibbs, English convict from London, who was transported aboard the "Anson" on September 23, 1843, settling in Van Diemen's Land, Australia 7

Tibbs migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Tibbs Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century
  • William Tibbs, aged 36, a shoemaker, who arrived in Nelson, New Zealand aboard the ship "Adamant" in 1874 8
  • Ann Tibbs, aged 38, who arrived in Nelson, New Zealand aboard the ship "Adamant" in 1874 8

Contemporary Notables of the name Tibbs (post 1700) +

  • William Henry Tibbs (1816-1906), American attorney and politician from Tennessee who served in the Confederate States Congress during the American Civil War
  • Andrew Tibbs (1929-1991), American electric and urban blues singer and songwriter
  • Casey Duane Tibbs (1929-1990), American cowboy, rodeo performer, and actor, "World All-Around Rodeo Champion" in 1951 and 1955
  • Jay Lindsey Tibbs (b. 1962), retired American Major League Baseball pitcher from Birmingham, Alabama
  • Gary Brian Tibbs (b. 1958), English bass guitarist and actor from Northwood, Middlesex
  • William "Bill" Tibbs (b. 1931), Canadian former professional ice hockey goaltender from Winnipeg, Manitoba


  1. Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
  2. Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
  3. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  4. 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)
  5. Convict Records of Australia. Retrieved 4th March 2021 from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/commodore-hayes
  6. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 18th February 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/claudine
  7. State Library of Queensland. (Retrieved 2015, January 8) Anson voyage to Van Diemen's Land, Australia in 1843 with 499 passengers. Retrieved from http://www.convictrecords.com.au/ships/anson/1843
  8. New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html


Houseofnames.com on Facebook