This German name is either habitational or job descriptive. It derives from the pre-medieval "Treiber" and translates as one who was resident by the place of the swine or who was a swine farmer. Specifically, if job descriptive, the name probably means one who collected the swine and drove them to the nearest market, the ancient equivalent of a cattle or pig dealer. The name is apparently first recorded in England in 1833, when Frederick Tribner was a witness at the christening of his first son George Rayson Tri(e)bner at St. Mary Magdalene, Bermondsey, on March 1st. On June 25th 1834, the name spelling is recorded as Triebner, when his daughter, Georgiana, was christened at the same church. The spelling remains as Triebner for Jane, who was christened on February 25th 1835, and Susan, who was christened on May 16th 1837. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of Catharina Treiber, which was dated April 18th 1572, christened at Landau in Pfalz Evangelist Church, Bayern, Germany, during the reign of Emperor Maximillian 11 of the Holy Roman (German) Empire, 1564 - 1576. 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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