LAMBE
Lambe is a surname of English origin that first appeared in the medieval records of England and later in Ireland.
The name derives from the Old English word lamb, meaning a young sheep. It was originally used either as a metonymic occupational surname for a person who tended lambs or as a nickname for someone who seemed gentle or innocent as a lamb.
Early documentary evidence shows the surname in the twelfth century. A record in the Pipe Rolls of Kent from 1195 mentions an Aedward Lamb, the earliest known spelling. Subsequent entries include William le Lambe in the Hundred Rolls of Cambridgeshire in 1273 and Lambe de Harewude in the Sheffield manorial records of 1290.
By the early thirteenth and fourteenth centuries the name appears in various forms such as William atte Lamme, indicating a possible reference to residence at a place marked by a lamb sign. The surname is also documented in Ireland, where it was influenced by Gaelic naming conventions and appears in the context of Christian, Celtic communities.
Variants of the surname are numerous, including Lamb, Lambe, Lambs and Lambes. Differences in regional dialects and the lack of standardised spelling contributed to these multiple orthographies over the centuries.
The surname has persisted into modern times and is found primarily in English‑speaking countries, notably the United Kingdom, Ireland, the United States, Australia, Canada, South Africa and New Zealand. Migration has dispersed families bearing the name across these regions.
Notable individuals with the surname include Sir John Lambe (1566–1647), who served as chancellor and keeper of the great seal to Queen Henrietta Maria in 1640; British philosopher John Lambe; American filmmaker Henry Lambe; and British actress Sara Lambe.
The surname remains uncommon on a global scale, yet it continues to represent a clear link to England’s Anglo‑Saxon past and to the pastoral imagery of the lamb.
Typical given names associated with the Lambe surname
Male
- Andrew
- Christopher
- David
- James
- John
- Michael
- Patrick
- Peter
- Sean
- Stephen
- Thomas
- William
Female
- Catherine
- Elizabeth
- Emma
- Janet
- Joanne
- Margaret
- Mary
- Nicola
- Patricia
- Sarah
- Sharon
Similar and related surnames
- Lamb
- Lamba
- Lambeck
- Lam
- Lambah
- Laime
- Lambel
- Lambell
- Lamben
- Lamber
- Lambers
- Lambet
- Lambett
- Lambey
- Lambi
- Lambie
- Lambis
- Lamble
- Lambley
- Lambo
- Lamboi
- Lamboo
- Lamboy
- Lambre
- Lambs
- Lambus
- Lamby
- Lame
- Lames
- Lamme
- Lampe
- Lamphee
- Lembo
- Limbe
- Limbo
- Limbu
- Lomba
- Lombe
- Lombi
- Lombo
- Lomibao
- Loomba
- Loombe
- Lumba
- Lumbe
- Lumbi
- Lumbie
- Lumbu
- Lemba
- Lembe
Related and similar names are generated algorithmically based on the spelling, and may not necessarily share an etymology.
How to communicate the surname Lambe in...
Braille
⠇⠁⠍⠃⠑
Morse
.-...----....
Semaphore
There are approximately 1,636 people named Lambe in the UK. That makes it roughly the 4,976th most common surname in Britain. Around 25 in a million people in Britain are named Lambe.
Surname type: Nickname
Origin: Celtic
Region of origin: British Isles
Country of origin: Ireland
Religion of origin: Christian
Language of origin: Gaelic
Famous people named Lambe
- Reginald Everard Vibart Thompson-Lambe - Bermudian professional football player
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.