Show ContentsStubbs History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The history of the name Stubbs begins with the Norman Conquest of England in 1066. This Norman name was soon thereafter given to a a short or stocky person, having derived from the Old English word stybb, of the same meaning. A broad and miscellaneous class of surnames, nickname surnames referred to a characteristic of the first person who used the name. They can describe the bearer's favored style of clothing, appearance, habits, or character. 1

Early Origins of the Stubbs family

The surname Stubbs was first found in Staffordshire where they were granted lands at Water-Eaton and Bloxwich by William the Conqueror for their assistance at the Battle of Hastings in 1066.

There are elaborate accounts of this family's descent from Belmeis or Beaumeis from Beaumeis-Sur-Dive from Calvados in Normandy through Richard Belmeis, the founder of the family, who was a follower of Roger de Montogomery who was Sheriff of Shropshire and later Bishop of London, about 1100. 2

One of the earliest records of the family was Aelfeah Stybb who was listed in the source Old English Bynames c. 1000. Later Richard Stubbe was a Knights Templar in Yorkshire in 1185. Geoffrey de Stubbes was found in the Pipe Rolls for Norfolk in 1199 and Robert del Stobbes was found in the Assize Rolls for Cheshire in 1288. Roger de Stoppes was listed in the Assize Rolls for London in 1276 and later, Robert Stope was listed in Yorkshire in 1408. 3

Thomas Stubbs (fl. 1373), an English "chronicler, [who] is said by Bale to have been a native of Yorkshire and a Dominican friar. " 4

Early History of the Stubbs family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Stubbs research. Another 118 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1521, 1540, 1544, 1577, 1587, 1624, 1632, 1676, 1714, 1724 and 1806 are included under the topic Early Stubbs History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Stubbs Spelling Variations

Before the advent of the printing press and the first dictionaries, the English language was not standardized. Sound was what guided spelling in the Middle Ages, so one person's name was often recorded under several variations during a single lifetime. Spelling variations were common, even among the names of the most literate people. Known variations of the Stubbs family name include Stubbs, Stubs, Stubbes, Stubb, Stubbe and others.

Early Notables of the Stubbs family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was

  • Henry Stubbe or Stubbes (1632-1676), was an English physician, writer and scholar and George Stubbs (1724-1806), was an English painter

Stubbs World Ranking

In the United States, the name Stubbs is the 1,540th most popular surname with an estimated 19,896 people with that name. 5 However, in Australia, the name Stubbs is ranked the 853rd most popular surname with an estimated 4,631 people with that name. 6 And in the United Kingdom, the name Stubbs is the 599th popular surname with an estimated 10,943 people with that name. 7

Migration of the Stubbs family to Ireland

Some of the Stubbs family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt. More information about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


Stubbs migration to the United States +

To escape the political and religious chaos of this era, thousands of English families began to migrate to the New World in search of land and freedom from religious and political persecution. The passage was expensive and the ships were dark, crowded, and unsafe; however, those who made the voyage safely were encountered opportunities that were not available to them in their homeland. Many of the families that reached the New World at this time went on to make important contributions to the emerging nations of the United States and Canada. Research into various historical records has revealed some of first members of the Stubbs family to immigrate North America:

Stubbs Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
  • Daniell Stubbs, who landed in Virginia in 1633 8
  • Izabell Stubbs, who landed in Virginia in 1636 8
  • Danll Stubbs, who arrived in Virginia in 1637 8
  • Daniell and Hontford Stubbs, who settled in Virginia in 1637
  • Isabell Stubbs, who arrived in Virginia in 1638 8
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Stubbs Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • Robert Stubbs, who landed in Virginia in 1705 8
  • Robert Stubbs, who settled in Maryland in 1716
  • Richard Stubbs, who arrived in Virginia in 1717 8
  • Ralph Stubbs, who arrived in Virginia in 1719 8
Stubbs Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • William Stubbs, who arrived in New York in 1807 8
  • William Stubbs, who settled in New York State in 1807
  • Edward Stubbs, who landed in New York in 1807 8
  • Catherine Stubbs, aged 18, who arrived in New York in 1807 8
  • Margaret Stubbs, aged 40, who landed in New York in 1807 8
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Stubbs migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Stubbs Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century
  • Joseph Stubbs, who arrived in Nova Scotia in 1750

Stubbs migration to Australia +

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

Stubbs Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
  • Mr. Charles Stubbs, English convict who was convicted in Chester, Cheshire, England for life, transported aboard the "Countess of Harcourt" on 29st April 1828, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 9
  • Mr. James Stubbs, British convict who was convicted in Lancaster, Lancashire, England for life, transported aboard the "Bussorah Merchant" on 1st October 1829, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 10
  • Thomas Stubbs, English convict from Staffordshire, who was transported aboard the "Arab" on February 22, 1834, settling in Van Diemen's Land, Australia 11
  • Miss Sophia Stubbs, English convict who was convicted in London, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Elizabeth" on 20th June 1836, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 12
  • Mr. John Stubbs, English convict who was convicted in Cumbria (Westmorland), England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Elphinstone" on 20th January 1836, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 13
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Stubbs Settlers in Australia in the 20th Century
  • "Miss Ann Stubbs, (b. 1811), aged 17, English nurse girl who was convicted in Nottingham, Nottinghamshire, England for 14 years for stealing, transported aboard the ""Competitor"" on 9th June 1828, arriving in New South Wales, Australia" 14

Stubbs 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:

Stubbs Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century
  • Gibson Stubbs, aged 26, who arrived in Nelson, New Zealand aboard the ship "Phoebe" in 1843
  • Mr. Abraham Stubbs, (b. 1827), aged 30, British labourer travelling from Gravesend aboard the ship "Glentanner" arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 3rd October 1857 15
  • Albert Stubbs, aged 24, a carpenter, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Rodney" in 1875
  • Emma Stubbs, aged 32, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Rodney" in 1875
  • Ethel Stubbs, aged 1, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Rodney" in 1875
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Stubbs migration to West Indies +

The British first settled the British West Indies around 1604. They made many attempts but failed in some to establish settlements on the Islands including Saint Lucia and Grenada. By 1627 they had managed to establish settlements on St. Kitts (St. Christopher) and Barbados, but by 1641 the Spanish had moved in and destroyed some of these including those at Providence Island. The British continued to expand the settlements including setting the First Federation in the British West Indies by 1674; some of the islands include Barbados, Bermuda, Cayman Island, Turks and Caicos, Jamaica and Belize then known as British Honduras. By the 1960's many of the islands became independent after the West Indies Federation which existed from 1958 to 1962 failed due to internal political conflicts. After this a number of Eastern Caribbean islands formed a free association. 16
Stubbs Settlers in West Indies in the 18th Century
  • Samuel Stubbs, who settled in Barbados in 1700

Contemporary Notables of the name Stubbs (post 1700) +

  • Una Stubbs (1937-2021), English actress, television personality, and dancer who appeared on British television and in the theatre, perhaps best known for role as Sherlock Holmes's landlady Mrs. Hudson in the BAFTA award-winning television series Sherlock
  • William Stubbs (1825-1901), English historian and Bishop of Oxford
  • John Francis Alexander Heath- Stubbs OBE (1918-2006), English poet and translator
  • Frank Edward Stubbs (1888-1915), English recipient of the Victoria Cross
  • Alan Stubbs (b. 1971), former English footballer
  • Stanley Stubbs, English Headmaster, The Perse School, Cambridge
  • George Stubbs (1724-1806), British painter born at Liverpool, son of John Stubbs, a currier, best known for his paintings of horses; he began to study anatomy at his father's house in Ormond Street, Liverpool when he was eight years old
  • Sir Reginald Edward Stubbs (1876-1947), British administrator, who was the governor of Hong Kong (1919-1925)

HMAS Sydney II
  • Mr. Kimberley Stubbs (1922-1941), Australian Stoker 2nd Class from Perth, Western Australia, Australia, who sailed into battle aboard HMAS Sydney II and died in the sinking 17
  • Mr. George Stubbs (1884-1941), Australian Chaplain from Turramurra, New South Wales, Australia, who sailed into battle aboard HMAS Sydney II and died in the sinking 17
HMS Cornwall
  • Leslie Stubbs, British Commander Gunner aboard the HMS Cornwall (1942) when she was struck by air bombers and sunk; he survived the sinking 18
HMS Hood
  • Mr. Charles F B Stubbs (b. 1909), English Lieutenant serving for the Royal Navy Volunteer Reserve from Finsbury, London, England, who sailed into battle and died in the HMS Hood sinking 19
RMS Titanic
  • Mr. James Henry Stubbs (d. 1912), aged 28, English Trimmer from Southampton, Hampshire who worked aboard the RMS Titanic and died in the sinking 20


The Stubbs Motto +

The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.

Motto: Cedant arma labori
Motto Translation: Let arms give place to labour


Suggested Readings for the name Stubbs +

  • Galveston was Their Home: Genealogy of the Kauffman-Stubbs-Brotherson Families by Sara Ellen Stubbs.

  1. Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
  2. The Norman People and Their Existing Descendants in the British Dominions and the United States Of America. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing, 1975. Print. (ISBN 0-8063-0636-X)
  3. Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
  4. Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
  5. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  6. "Most Common Last Names in Australia." Forebears, https://forebears.io/australia/surnames
  7. "UK surname ranking." UK Surname map, https://www.surnamemap.eu/unitedkingdom/surnames_ranking.php?p=10
  8. 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)
  9. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 19th April 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/countess-of-harcourt
  10. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 10th November 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/bussorah-merchant
  11. State Library of Queensland. (Retrieved 2015, January 8) Arab voyage to Van Diemen's Land, Australia in 1834 with 230 passengers. Retrieved from http://www.convictrecords.com.au/ships/arab/1834
  12. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 11th March 2022). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/elizabeth
  13. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 16th March 2022). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/elphinstone
  14. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 8th March 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/competitor
  15. New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
  16. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_West_Indies
  17. HMAS Sydney II, Finding Sydney Foundation - Roll of Honour. (Retrieved 2014, April 24) . Retrieved from http://www.findingsydney.com/roll.asp
  18. Force Z Survivors Crew List HMS Cornwall (Retrieved 2018, February 13th) - Retrieved from https://www.forcez-survivors.org.uk/biographies/listcornwallcrew.html#A
  19. H.M.S. Hood Association-Battle Cruiser Hood: Crew Information - H.M.S. Hood Rolls of Honour, Men Lost in the Sinking of H.M.S. Hood, 24th May 1941. (Retrieved 2016, July 15) . Retrieved from http://www.hmshood.com/crew/memorial/roh_24may41.htm
  20. Titanic Passenger List - Titanic Facts. (Retrieved 2016, July 13) . Retrieved from http://www.titanicfacts.net/titanic-passenger-list.html


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