Recorded in the spellings of Niblett, Niblo, Noblet, Noblett and the French-Italian Nobilo, this is a surname of medieval status. It is a diminutive either of the word 'noble', meaning one who was well born, (noble + 'tt', a short form of the French petit), Robert Le Noble being recorded in Huntingdon, England, in the Curia Regis rolls of the year 1106, or it a double diminutive of the given name "Nib" which itself a rare nickname of the popular personal name - Robert. 'Robert' was a name of Germanic origins and it achieved considerable popularity during the 12th and 13th centuries. From Robert derived many nickname forms. These include Robb, Robin, Hobb, Hobbin, Nobb, Nobelot and Noblett and Nibb with Niblett. A further possibility is that the name could be a descriptive surname for a person with a prominent nose. If so this derivation is from the pre 7th century Olde English 'nib' meaning a beak! The creation of nicknames and subsequently surnames was a favourite pastime of the Middle Ages, almost to the point of being a national hobby. Early recordings of the surname include John Nobelot of Cambridge in 1327, Elizabeth Niblett who married Thomas Winston in Gloucester in 1551, Peter Noblett, buried at St Michaels Cornhill, London, in 1578, and Andrew Niblett who married Alice Bailey, at Standish, Gloucester, in 1581. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of Ordric Noblet, which was dated 1187, in the Pipe Rolls of the County of Berkshire.

© Copyright: Name Origin Research 1980 - 2024