This interesting name is of early medieval French origin, and in the Middle Ages was commonly found as "Tebald" or "Tibalt" (Old French "Teoband" and "Tibaut"). It derives from Theobald which is composed of the Germanic elements "theudo", meaning "people", and "bald", bold or brave, and has given rise to a great many variant surnames, including: Tuddall, Tidball, Tubble(s), Dybald, Dipple, Tibbet, Tebbutt, Theobald and Tidbold. The name is believed to have been introduced into England by followers of William the Conqueror after he Norman Invasion of 1066. The surname was first recorded in the late 12th Century (see below), and the following examples illustrate the name development since then: Hugo Tebaud, in the 1202 Pipe Rolls of Lincolnshire; William Theobald, in the 1250 Feet of Fines of Suffolk; and Simon Tebalde (1255, Ramsey Abbey). The "beast-epic" of the Middle Ages, "Reynard the Fox", contains one "Tybalt" or "Tibert", a cat; hence, our modern-day "Tib" or "Tibbles". Recordings from Church Registers include the christening of Alys Tudball, daughter of John Tudball, at St Benet Kink, London, on November 13th 1575, and Sisley Tudball who married William Kermnylewagh (!) at the same church on April 21st 1578. A Coat of Arms granted to a family of the name is a red shield with six gold crosses crosslet fitchee, three, two and one, the Crest being out of clouds proper issuing gold rays, a black demi eagle, wings displayed. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of Tomas Teobald, which was dated 1199, in the "Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire", during the reign of King Richard 1, known as "Richard the Lionheart", 1189 - 1199. 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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