Recorded in over one hundred forms many being very rare, this is a surname of pre 7th century Anglo-Saxon and Germanic origins. The spellings include Theobald, Tudball, Tyreball, Treble, Trebble, Tribble, Dyball (English), Thibald, Thibaud and Thibout (France), Thibou, (Belgian), Theobald, Thibaut, and Diebald (Germany), Tibold (Hungary), and many more. It derives from the the elements "theudo", meaning people, and "bald,"- bold or brave, and was a very popular personal name in the period of history known as 'The dark ages'. The personal name and the subsequent surname of the 12th century is believed to have been introduced into England by followers of William, Duke of Normandy, after the Norman Invasion of 1066. Examples of the recordings in England illustrating the hereditary surname development include: Hugo Tebaud, in the Pipe Rolls of the county of Lincolnshire in the year 1202; William Theobald, in the court rolls known as the Feet of Fines for Suffolk in 1250, and Simon Tebalde in the register of Ramsey Abbey, in 1255. In Germany Stammfolge Theopolt was recorded in Hildburghausen in 1420, Thiebaud von Worms in 1435, and Christoph Theobald of Rudolstadt in 1529. Examples taken from early surviving English church registers include: the marriage of Francis Theobald and Judith Conquest on February 20th 1622, at St. Dunstan's in the East, Stepney, and Joseph Tribell and Grace Winstanley at St Dionis Backchurch, in the cioty of London on May 1st 1687. The first recorded spelling of the family name anywhere in the world is believed to be that of Tomas Teobald. This was dated 1199, in the Pipe Rolls of the county of Gloucestershire, England. This was during the reign of the famous King Richard 1st of England, known as "Coeur de Leon", 1189 - 1199. Throughout the centuries, surnames in every country have continued to "develop" often leading to astonishing variants of the original spelling.

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