Show ContentsTubman History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

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Tubman Family Crest Download (JPG) Heritage Series - 600 DPI

Family Crest Download (JPG) Heritage Series - 600 DPI

Etymology of Tubman

What does the name Tubman mean?

The name Tubman is derived from the name of an ancestor, as in 'the son of Theobald.' 1

Another source claims the name could have been from Tubba, an Old Scandinavian name or from Tubo, an Old German name. "Tubba is recorded as the name of a Danish chief who was wounded at the sack of the monastery at Medeshamstede (Peterborough) c. 870." 2

Early Origins of the Tubman family

The surname Tubman was first found in the Domesday Book of 1086 where the name Tubi was registered in Berkshire and Tube was registered in Warwickshire. 3 Years later we found Reginaldus filius Tobbe in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire in 1166 and later the same rolls listed Laurencius filius Tubb in the 1230. Early rolls in Norfolk listed Alan Tubbi in the the Curia Regis Rolls for 1206 and a few years later, John Tub was listed as a Baronet on the Isle of Man (1212-1213.) Over in Somerset, Roger Tubbe was listed in the Assize Rolls for 1243 and in Northumberland, William Tubbe was recorded in 1296. 4 "The name of Tubb is also represented in Berkshire. Tubbe was a Somerset name in the 13th century." 5

The Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379 include an entry for Thomas Tubb, sonfer and Matilda Tubb. 1

Early History of the Tubman family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Tubman research. Another 91 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1620, 1881, 1915 and 1917 are included under the topic Early Tubman History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Tubman Spelling Variations

Cornish surnames are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. The frequent changes in surnames are due to the fact that the Old and Middle English languages lacked definite spelling rules. The official court languages, which were Latin and French, were also influential on the spelling of a surname. Since the spelling of surnames was rarely consistent in medieval times, and scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded rather than adhering to any specific spelling rules, it was common to find the same individual referred to with different spellings of their surname in the ancient chronicles. Moreover, a large number of foreign names were brought into England, which accelerated and accentuated the alterations to the spelling of various surnames. Lastly, spelling variations often resulted from the linguistic differences between the people of Cornwall and the rest of England. The Cornish spoke a unique Brythonic Celtic language which was first recorded in written documents during the 10th century. However, they became increasingly Anglicized, and Cornish became extinct as a spoken language in 1777, although it has been revived by Cornish patriots in the modern era. The name has been spelled Tubb, Tub, Tubby, Tubman and others.

Early Notables of the Tubman family

Another 38 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Tubman Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Tubman migration to the United States +

In the immigration and passenger lists were a number of people bearing the name Tubman

Tubman Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Sarah J. Tubman, aged 21, who arrived in America, in 1894
Tubman Settlers in United States in the 20th Century
  • William Tubman, aged 45, who arrived in America, in 1904
  • John Tubman, aged 50, who arrived in America from New Zealand, in 1907
  • Josephine Tubman, aged 9, who arrived in America from Mohill, Ireland, in 1908
  • Katie Tubman, aged 29, who arrived in America from Mohill, Ireland, in 1908
  • Alozsius Tubman, aged 10, who arrived in America from Mohill, Ireland, in 1908
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Tubman 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:

Tubman Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century
  • Mr. Robert Tubman, (b. 1864), aged 2, British settler travelling from Gravesend, UK aboard the ship "Bombay" arriving in Lyttelton, South Island, New Zealand on 18th August 1866 6
  • Mr. Thomas Tubman, (b. 1862), aged 4, British settler travelling from Gravesend, UK aboard the ship "Bombay" arriving in Lyttelton, South Island, New Zealand on 18th August 1866 6
  • Mrs. Elizabeth Tubman, (b. 1836), aged 30, British settler travelling from Gravesend, UK aboard the ship "Bombay" arriving in Lyttelton, South Island, New Zealand on 18th August 1866 6
  • Mr. Robert Tubman, (b. 1829), aged 37, British farm labourer travelling from Gravesend, UK aboard the ship "Bombay" arriving in Lyttelton, South Island, New Zealand on 18th August 1866 6
  • Miss Eliza J. Tubman, (b. 1865), aged 10 months, British settler travelling from Gravesend, UK aboard the ship "Bombay" arriving in Lyttelton, South Island, New Zealand on 18th August 1866 6
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Tubman (post 1700) +

  • Harriet Tubman (1822-1913), born Araminta Ross, an American abolitionist, humanitarian, and Union spy during the American Civil War; she helped John Brown recruit men for his raid on Harpers Ferry
  • Robert Joseph "Joe" Tubman (1897-1975), Canadian CFL football player who played from 1919 to 1931 for the Ottawa Rough Riders, inducted into the Canadian Football Hall of Fame in 1968
  • Bob Tubman (1884-1956), Australian rugby league footballer who played from 1908 to 1911, member of the Australia National Team in 1908
  • Winston A. Tubman (b. 1941), Liberian diplomat
  • William Vacanarat Shadrach Tubman (1895-1971), Liberian politician, 19th President of Liberia (1944-1971), the "father of modern Liberia"
  1. Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
  2. Harrison, Henry, Surnames of the United Kingdom: A Concise Etymological Dictionary Baltimore: Geneological Publishing Company, 2013. Print
  3. Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
  4. Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
  5. Guppy, Henry Brougham, Homes of Family Names in Great Britain. 1890. Print.
  6. New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html

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