Surname Tabb - Meaning and Origin
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Tabb: What does the surname Tabb mean?
The surname Tabb is of English origin and is believed to have been derived from a pet form of the personal name Tobias. Tobias itself is a Greek form of the Hebrew name Tobiah, meaning "God is good". The Tabb surname was first recorded in Worcestershire, England. The name may have originally been used to identify individuals who were named after Saint Tobias, who is venerated in both the Jewish and Christian traditions. The Tabb family had a family seat in Worcestershire since ancient times, highlighting their significance in the region. Like many surnames, over the years, it has also possibly been used as an occupational name or a geographical name.
Order DNA origin analysisTabb: Where does the name Tabb come from?
The last name Tabb is most commonly found in the United States, particularly in the Southeast and the Mid-Atlantic region. It is also a popular surname in England, Scotland, Ireland, Canada, and Australia. In the United States, the Tabb family name is among the 100 most common surnames, with an estimated 72,000 individuals bearing it.
In the southern United States in the 19th or early 20th centuries, the surname was traditionally and primarily Anglicized from the Irish Gaelic surname O'Tabthaigh. Tabb is thought to be derived from the Gaelic words tabhach, which means "a robber," or tóibeach, which means "a well-dressed man." Several of the Tabb family members in the 19th century can be linked to Cork City, Ireland, as the family had an ancestral home there.
The surname Tabb is most commonly associated with Virginia, and states including North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Maryland, and Kentucky. It is also scattered throughout other states such as Alabama, Tennessee, Florida, Mississippi, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia, with concentrations in Washington D.C., Delaware, and New Jersey. As of 2007, the highest concentrations of the surname Tabb were in Fairfax County and Prince William County in Virginia.
Variations of the surname Tabb
The surname Tabb is derived from several different sources, including English, German, and French. It is an occupational name, derived from the Anglo-Saxon word tabbe, meaning “a tailor”, as well as an English nickname for an especially tidy person.
Variants of the surname Tabb include: Tab, Tabb, Taber, Tabar, Tabor, Tabers, Tapp, Tapper and Tappen.
In Germany, Tabb is spelled Tapp. It could also be spelled Tab or Thab, which was a Middle High German name for an authoritative figure.
In France, the name Tab could be spelled Tabart or Tabard. Tabard was an Old French word, akin to the Middle English word tabard, which was a tunic worn by medieval nobility.
The Jewish surnames of Tabin and Tobin are thought to be derived from the same origin as Tabb. They were adopted when Jews were required to take surnames by the Spanish authorities in the 16th century.
The surname Tabb can also be found in other language variants, including Hebrew (Teb) and Irish (Teob).
The surname Tabb has numerous spelling variations, and each variation often has its own distinct geographical origins. Many branches of the Tabb family have spread to different countries over several centuries, giving rise to a diverse range of surnames from the same origin.
Famous people with the name Tabb
- Charles Tabb: an American legal scholar and longtime professor at the University of Illinois College of Law.
- Emily Tabb: a singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist in the Americana music scene.
- Frank Tabb: a former professional American football safety who played in the National Football League from 1985 to 1990.
- Joe Tabb: an American thoroughbred horse racing trainer best known for training the Hall of Fame race horse John Henry.
- Keith Tabb: a former professional American football cornerback who played for the San Diego Chargers of the NFL.
- Valerie Tabb: a poet and professor of English at the University of Vermont, known for her work exploring the intersection of race and identity.
- Tom Tabb: a folk and roots musician, composer, record producer, and multi-instrumentalist.
- Willie Tabb: a former American football running back who played in the American Football League and the National Football League.
- Ashley Tabb: a noted character actress who has performed in film, television, and theater.
- Katrina Tabb: an American twenty-first century poetry and scholarly criticism, and a visiting professor of creative writing at the University of Central Florida.