Theobald
A Germanic personal name meaning “people-bold,” later adopted as a surname.
The #7,720 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 71,801 Americans shares it.
Etymology
The surname comes from the medieval personal name Theobald, built from Germanic elements meaning “people” and “bold, brave.” Historical forms include Theodbald, Thibault, and related spellings, showing how the name shifted across Germanic and French traditions. In English use, it was a well-known baptismal name before becoming hereditary as a family name.
History
The name was borne by notable early medieval figures, which helped keep it in circulation; Harrison mentions an early Northumbrian Theodbald and notes that Theobald was the usual later medieval form. As a surname, it appears mainly as a patronymic from the personal name, and related surnames such as Theobalds and several shortened or altered forms are recorded by Lower. French and Anglo-Norman variants like Thibault also point to its wider medieval European spread.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
Lower grouped a surprising cluster of English surnames as descendants of Theobald, including Tibbs, Tubb, and Tubby.
From the historical record
“'Wall' is a Chesh. form of 'well.' THEOBALD (Teut.) People-Bold [O.Teut. Theod{p)bald, Thiodbald, Theotbald, etc.: V. under Theed, and + O.E. Me)ald = O.Sax. (and O.H.Ger.) hald = O.N. ball-r (for earlier 6a/8-r) = Goth. balS-s, bold] A Theodbald was brother of .ffithelfrith, ' king of Northumbria, ob. A.D. 617.…”
— Surnames of the United Kingdom: a concise etymological dictionary (2 vols in 1)