This most interesting and unusual name of English origin derives from the old English pre 7th Century personal name "Bubba", of uncertain origin. Which is also evident in placenames e.g., Bubbenhall, Bubwith, but may also derive from an unrelated nursery word i.e., a nickname meaning "baby", plus the diminutive suffix ending "-in", and "-s" which indicates a patronymic name i.e., "son of" (the "s" being short for "son"). The surname appears to be most widespread in the Norfolk district, as many of the namebearers appear in that County's Church Registers. One Thomas Bubbin was christened at St. Michael Coslany, Norwich, Norfolk on March 21st 1618 while Hand Bubbins married Grace Cubitt at St. Michael at Plea, Norwich on May 18th 1662. The earliest recording in London Church Registers is the marriage of Elisabeth Bubbins to one Thomas Badbole at St. James', Clerkenwell on November 20th 1668. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of Richard Buaben, (marriage to Wolfenden), which was dated April 1578 at Halifax Parish Church, Halifax, during the reign of Queen Elizabeth 1st, "Good Queen Bess", 1558 - 1603. Surnames became necessary when governments introduced personal taxation. In England this was known as Poll Tax. Throughout the centuries, surnames in every country have continued to "develop" often leading to astonishing variants of the original spelling.

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