Show ContentsTibits History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Etymology of Tibits

What does the name Tibits mean?

The ancient Anglo-Saxon surname Tibits came 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 Tibits family

The surname Tibits 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 Tibits family

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

Tibits Spelling Variations

The English language only became standardized in the last few centuries; therefore,spelling variations are common among early Anglo-Saxon names. As the form of the English language changed, even the spelling of literate people's names evolved. Tibits has been recorded under many different variations, including Tibbits, Tibbets, Tibbit, Tibbet and others.

Early Notables of the Tibits family

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

Migration of the Tibits family

For many English families, the political and religious disarray that shrouded England made the far away New World an attractive prospect. On cramped disease-ridden ships, thousands migrated to those British colonies that would eventually become Canada and the United States. Those hardy settlers that survived the journey often went on to make important contributions to the emerging nations in which they landed. Analysis of immigration records indicates that some of the first North American immigrants bore the name Tibits or a variant listed above: 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..



  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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