THEOBALD
Theobald is a surname of Germanic origin, derived from the personal name Theobald. The name is composed of the elements theudo, meaning “people” or “race”, and bald, meaning “bold” or “brave”, thus conveying the sense of a person who is brave among the people.
Following the Norman Conquest of England in 1066, the name was introduced to the British Isles by Norman followers of William the Conqueror. Early documentary evidence of the surname appears in English records such as the Pipe Rolls of Lincolnshire in 1202, where a Hugo Tebaud is listed, and in the Feet of Fines for Suffolk in 1250, where a William Theobald is recorded. The register of Ramsey Abbey in 1255 contains an entry for Simon Tebalde. In Germany, the surname appears in the 15th and 16th centuries, for example as Theopolt in Hildburghausen (1420), Thiebaud von Worms (1435), and Christoph Theobald of Rudolstadt (1529).
The earliest recorded spelling of the family name anywhere in the world is believed to be that of Tomas Teobald, dated 1199 in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire, during the reign of King Richard I. Subsequent early records include the marriage of Francis Theobald and Judith Conquest on 20 February 1622 at St. Dunstan's, East Stepney, London.
The surname has been documented in over one hundred variants across Europe. In England it appears as Thieball, Tudball, and Dyball; in France as Thibald, Thibaud, and Thibout; in Belgium as Thibou; in Germany as Thibaut and Diebald; in Hungary as Tibold; and other forms such as Teobald, Teobaldino, Teobaldo, Thaibaud, Thibold, Tibout, Tibold, Thibodeau, Tibaud, Tabot, Tupet, and Thibodaux.
In contemporary demographic terms, the surname is most common in Germany, where it is a relatively uncommon name, representing only 0.007 % of the population as of 2016. In the United Kingdom it holds a modest frequency, ranking as the 471st most common surname and accounting for 0.0024 % of the population, with the highest concentrations in the southern counties of Essex, Hertfordshire, Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, and Kent. In the United States the name is less common, ranking 3,787th overall and 848th in Pennsylvania, where it accounts for 0.0014 % of residents; most other states have only a handful of bearers of the name, the earliest recorded United States immigrant being Michael Theobald of the late eighteenth century. In Canada it is found mainly in Ontario and Quebec, and in Australia the name appears primarily in Victoria and New South Wales, usually among people of German heritage. The name remains relatively rare across North America, Australia and New Zealand, though it is present in small numbers in those regions.
Typical given names associated with the Theobald surname
Male
- Anthony
- Christopher
- David
- James
- John
- Mark
- Michael
- Paul
- Peter
- Richard
- Robert
Female
- Christine
- Claire
- Emma
- Joanne
- Julie
- Karen
- Lisa
- Margaret
- Nicola
- Patricia
- Samantha
- Sarah
- Susan
Similar and related surnames
Related and similar names are generated algorithmically based on the spelling, and may not necessarily share an etymology.
How to communicate the surname Theobald in...
Braille
⠞⠓⠑⠕⠃⠁⠇⠙
Morse
-.....----....-.-..-..
Semaphore
There are approximately 4,153 people named Theobald in the UK. That makes it roughly the 2,244th most common surname in Britain. Around 64 in a million people in Britain are named Theobald.
Surname type: From given name or forename
Origin: English
Region of origin: British Isles
Country of origin: England
Religion of origin: Christian
Language of origin: English
Famous people named Theobald
- Karl Theobald - Actor and comedian
- David Theobald - Football player
- Lewis Theobald - Editor and author (1688 to 1744)
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.