Recorded in several spellings including Job, Jobb, Jubb, Jobe, Jube and Jupp, this is an English surname of at least four possible origins. The first is of biblical origin, being one of the many names of Hebrew or Greek origins which were introduced to Christian Europe from about the 12th century. This followed the many expeditions known as the Crusades, to free the Holy Land from the Muslims. All were unsuccessful, but it did not stop returning knights from calling their children by names associated with Christian and biblical beliefs. In this case the derivation is from the Hebrew personal name Lyov or Job meaning "the persecuted one". Job was the central character in the biblical book of that name, and it is said, was tormented with boils. As result a second origin may be a nickname for somebody who during the Middle Ages was unfortunate enough to suffer from spots and boils, not by any means uncommon in those times. The third suggestion is that the name is a metonymic for a cooper, deriving from the Medieval English word "jobbe" meaning a vessel containing four gallons. Finally the name may derive from the Olde French "jube" or "jupe". This was a long woollen garment for men, and hence given to a maker or seller of these garments. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of William Job. This was dated 1202, in the Court Rolls of Norwich, county of Norfolk, during the reign of King John, 1199 - 1216. Throughout the centuries, surnames in every country have continued to "develop" often leading to astonishing variants of the original spelling.

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