BEBB
Bebb is a surname of predominantly Welsh provenance, derived from the personal name Ieuan, the Welsh equivalent of the English John. It is a patronymic designation, originally employed to denote the descendants of an individual named Ieuan. Historically the name evolved towards the modern form Bebb; its frequency has remained comparatively modest, with the majority of bearers historically residing within Wales and its immediate hinterland.
In addition to its Welsh roots, there exists an alternative etymological possibility traced to Old English. Early medieval records indicate that Babbe or Bebbe, feminine personal names of uncertain origin, were displaced within various placenames across England, such as Babbacombe in Devonshire (recorded as Babbecumbe c.1200), Babthorpe in Yorkshire (known as Babetorp in the Domesday Book of 1086), and Bebbington in Cheshire (noted in the Chester City Rolls of 1100 as Bebinton). The entry Bebbesham of the Anglo Saxon Chronicle, dated 680, records Bebbe as a name borne by both a woman and a man, suggesting a broad application that may have been colloquial or "nursery" in nature. Furthermore, the pet form Babb of the female given name Barbara (from the Greek barbados meaning "foreign" or "stranger") has likewise been proposed as a potential source.
The historical presence of the surname is first documented in the Fine Court Rolls of Suffolk, dated 1198, during the reign of King Richard the Lionheart (1189–1199). The earliest recorded spelling appears as Alwinus Babbe, indicating an early usage of the variant Babe in property and legal contexts.
In the early eighteenth century, a man named Horatio Bebb of Donnington Grove, Berkshire, was granted a coat of arms. The escutcheon was quartered, with the I and IV quarters bearing three gold cresent figures on a blue field, and the II and III quarters containing two fleur-de-lis on the same tincture. The motto, in Latin, reads Proemium, virtusis, honour, translated as Honour is the reward of virtue.
Other notable documentary reference includes the marriage of Jane Bebb and Thomas Hall in St. Dunstan's in Stepney, London, dated February 7th 1633, illustrating the surname’s presence in early twentieth‑century London society.
Typical given names associated with the Bebb surname
Male
- Alan
- Andrew
- Daniel
- David
- James
- John
- Julius
- Michael
- Peter
- Richard
- Rp
- Stephen
- Thomas
- William
Female
- Anne
- Carol
- Catherine
- Elizabeth
- Emma
- Jacqueline
- Margaret
- Mary
- Nicola
- Sarah
Similar and related surnames
- Baab
- Bab
- Baba
- Babaee
- Babaei
- Babai
- Babaie
- Babau
- Babb
- Babba
- Babbe
- Babbi
- Babbie
- Babbo
- Babbs
- Babby
- Babe
- Babeau
- Babei
- Babi
- Babia
- Babii
- Babo
- Baboi
- Baboo
- Babooa
- Babou
- Babu
- Bauba
- Beabby
- Beabie
- Beaby
- Beb
- Beba
- Bebbey
- Bebbs
- Bebby
- Bebe
- Bebee
- Bebey
- Bebo
- Bebu
- Beby
- Beeb
- Beebe
- Beebee
- Beebi
- Beeby
- Beiby
- Biba
- Bibb
- Bibbie
- Bibbo
- Bibe
- Bibeau
- Bibi
- Bibie
- Bibu
- Bob
- Boba
- Bobb
- Bobba
- Bobbe
- Bobbi
- Bobbie
- Bobe
- Bobi
- Bobie
- Bobo
- Boboe
- Bobu
- Boob
- Boobie
- Boubee
- Bub
- Buba
- Bubb
- Bubba
- Bube
- Bubi
- Bubu
- Buob
Related and similar names are generated algorithmically based on the spelling, and may not necessarily share an etymology.
How to communicate the surname Bebb in...
Braille
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Morse
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There are approximately 1,563 people named Bebb in the UK. That makes it roughly the 5,193rd most common surname in Britain. Around 24 in a million people in Britain are named Bebb.
Famous people named Bebb
- Guto Bebb - Welsh politician who is an MP for Aberconwy
- Dewi Bebb - Welsh rugby union player (1938 to 1996)
- Cecil Bebb - Pilot (1905 to 2002)
- Richard Bebb - Actor and music collector (1927 to 2006)
- Gwyneth Bebb - Plaintiff in sex discrimination case (1889 to 1921)
- Ambrose Bebb - Historian (1894 to 1955)
- Sion Bebb - Golfer
Names and descriptions courtesy of Wikipedia, and may contain errors. This is not intended to be an exhaustive list of every famous person with this name.