DOUBLE
Double is a family name of French origin that has been established in the British Isles for many centuries. Its presence is recorded throughout England, where it is found as a common secular surname.
The surname derives from the Olde French word doublet, which entered the English language after the Norman conquest of 1066. In the medieval context of this word the meaning was not that of a close‐fitting garment but of a twin or a look‑alike. Consequently the name was often applied as a nickname to a person who bore a resemblance to someone else or who was a twin, though it may also have been given to those who had a dual occupation or a double nature.
Recorded in a number of variations, the name occurs as Dubel, Dobell, Doble, Double, Dobble and occasionally other forms. The earliest surviving example is that of Richard Dublet in the Winton Rolls of Hampshire in the year 1115, during the reign of King Henry I. This early instance is followed by further documentary appearances such as Robert Duble of Suffolk in the Pipe Rolls of 1196, Adam le Dobel of Sussex in the Subsidy Tax Rolls of 1296, and Richard Doble in the Letter Books of London in 1336.
Some scholars consider that the name might have had an occupational origin, referring to a maker of doublets, because in this context the word can convey the idea of a close‑fitting garment. However, the evidence does not conclusively support this hypothesis; it is equally plausible that the name was simply a descriptive nickname related to twins or to those who resembled a famous individual.
Throughout the Middle Ages the Double surname spread across England, with records appearing in counties such as Sussex, Hampshire, Suffolk and London. By the early modern period the name was firmly established in the English population and continued to be used into contemporary times.
Today, the surname remains in use across the United Kingdom and can be encountered in genealogical registers, census records and civil registrations. Its continued presence testifies to the enduring legacy of the Norman contribution to the English nomenclature system and to the well‑documented nature of medieval surnames such as Double.
Typical given names associated with the Double surname
Male
- Andrew
- David
- Gary
- Graham
- James
- John
- Michael
- Paul
- Philip
- Robert
- Stephen
Female
- Catherine
- Christine
- Gillian
- Jacqueline
- Louise
- Margaret
- Michelle
- Samantha
- Sandra
- Sarah
- Sophie
- Susan
- Victoria
- Zoe
Similar and related surnames
- Daaboul
- Dabal
- Dabble
- Dabel
- Dabele
- Dabell
- Dabill
- Dable
- Daboul
- Daibell
- Daible
- Dauble
- Dayball
- Daybell
- Daybill
- Dayble
- Deabell
- Deabill
- Deable
- Deball
- Debble
- Debel
- Debell
- Debella
- Debelle
- Debil
- Deble
- Debolla
- Deeble
- Deibel
- Deubel
- Deuble
- Diabel
- Diable
- Diablo
- Diball
- Dibbell
- Dibble
- Dibblee
- Dibell
- Dibella
- Dibello
- Dible
- Diblee
- Diboll
- Dieball
- Diebel
- Dobble
- Dobel
- Dobele
- Dobell
- Dobill
- Doble
- Doebele
- Douba
- Doubal
- Doubble
- Doube
- Doubek
- Doubell
- Doubler
- Doublet
- Dowbell
- Dowble
- Dubal
- Dubale
- Dubbels
- Dubble
- Dubel
- Dubele
- Dubell
- Dubiel
- Dubiela
- Dubil
- Dubla
- Duble
- Dubula
- Dubyl
- Dybal
- Dybala
- Dyball
- Dybel
- Dybell
- Dyble
- Dybul
- Tabala
- Tabbal
- Tabel
- Tabell
- Tabil
- Table
- Tabula
- Taibel
- Taubel
- Teable
- Tebball
- Tebbel
- Tebble
- Teble
- Teboul
- Teebble
- Tibball
- Tibbel
- Tibble
- Tibell
- Tibil
- Tible
- Tobal
- Tobbell
- Tobel
- Tobell
- Tobli
- Tobola
- Tobull
- Toubale
- Touboul
- Tubble
- Tubel
- Tuble
- Twyble
Related and similar names are generated algorithmically based on the spelling, and may not necessarily share an etymology.
How to communicate the surname Double in...
Braille
⠙⠕⠥⠃⠇⠑
Morse
-..---..--....-...
Semaphore
There are approximately 1,045 people named Double in the UK. That makes it roughly the 7,121st most common surname in Britain. Around 16 in a million people in Britain are named Double.
Origin: English
Region of origin: British Isles
Country of origin: England
Religion of origin: Christian
Language of origin: English
Famous people named Double
- Steve Double - Politician
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.