Recorded in a wide range of spellings including Dibdall, Dibdale, Dibsdale, Dibsdaile, and Didball, this is a locational surname and probably English. It is well recorded in the Greater London region from the time of the first Queen Elizabeth (1558 - 1603) but as to where it originates from, is a different and unproven problem. The only place of the same or similar spelling is apparently Dibledale in the county of Ross and Cromarty in the far north of Scorland, but we have no information whatsoever to support this place as the place of origin of the nameholders. That it is a 'from' name, a name given to people after they left their original homes and moved elsewhere, is proven by the large numbers of recordings in London. The name probably means 'Deep valley' from the pre 7th century Olde English 'dep dael'. The first known surname recording that we have is that of Joane Dibdall, at the church of St James Clerkenwell on October 23rd 1588. This church was the epicentre of the Dibdale nameholders, with continuous recordings there for over a century. Examples of these early recordings also showing the various spelling developments include: Richard Dibsdaile on January 16th 1606 at the church of St Andrews Undershaft, city of London, Isabell Dibdale who married John Wood, on July 2nd 1632 at St James Clerkenwell, and Nathaniel Dibsdale, a christening witness at St Leonards Shoreditch, on March 24th 1759.

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