Surname Dubbs - Meaning and Origin
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Dubbs: What does the surname Dubbs mean?
The surname Dubbs is of German origin, specifically derived from the Old High German word "tub", which means "to be well". It is believed to be a metonymic occupational name for a maker or seller of wooden vessels like barrels, tubs, and kegs. Therefore, a person with the surname Dubbs likely had ancestors in the artisanal or merchandising trades, specifically those dealing with wooden containers. In some derivations, "Dub" can also refer to "dove", symbolising peace and harmony, which might indicate that the ancestors upheld these virtues. However, name meanings can vary based on geographic location and passage of time, and the exact significance might differ among families bearing this last name today. Surnames often served as a way to define and differentiate individuals or families based on their trade, occupation, or even physical characteristics, in addition to other factors.
Order DNA origin analysisDubbs: Where does the name Dubbs come from?
The surname Dubbs is most commonly found in the United States today. While the name has some presence in other parts of the world, particularly in regions with a historic German-speaking population, such as Switzerland, it retains its greatest presence in the United States.
Within the United States, the highest concentration of Dubbs can be found in Pennsylvania and its surrounding states, including Maryland, Ohio, and West Virginia. Particularly in the Northeastern part of the United States, where the surname has been carried since the eighteenth century, Dubbs has established a certain genealogical presence.
This presence seems in part to have a nautical association: records from the Immigration and Naturalization records show that multiple people named Dubbs arrived in the United States during the following the Revolutionary War from the Hamburg region of Germany, most settling along lakes and rivers in Pennsylvania.
More recent records reveal distribution between Pennsylvania, Maryland, West Virginia, and states further out as well: in Florida, New Jersey, Texas, and Virginia. There is even a concentration in California as well, perhaps due to the Gold Rush of 1849.
No matter where the name has made its home, however, the surname Dubbs carries a certain connotation of talent, frequenting from an occupational perspective: the name is often found in records of stone masons, millers, farmers, and other hard workers. These workers of the past make very real the motto the Dubbs of today live by: work hard, play hard.
Variations of the surname Dubbs
The surname Dubbs is of Germanic origin derived from the personal name 'Dub' which means ‘dark’ or ‘black’. It is most commonly found in North America, specifically the United States.
Variants of the surname Dubbs include: Dubbe, Dubbey, Dubbi, Dubbie, Dubb, Dubbee, Dubey, Dubi, Duby.
The Dutch, German and Slovenian spellings for Dubbs are: Dubbz, Dubs, Dubbs, Dubsz, Dubbsz, Dubbss.
Surnames associated with Dubbs by origin are: Dubsowell, Dube, Dubey, Dubach, Dubie, Dubose, Doub, Doubs, Duba, Dubrow, and Dubis.
The variant Dubbe is an altered spelling of the personal name Dobbe, which has its roots in Low German traditions.
The alternative spelling quite commonly seen is the old Germanic spelling Dubs.
The surname Dubbss is also an alternate version of the name Dubbs, a shorthand version of Dubba, a Welsh name of Anglo-Saxon origin.
The surname Dubey has its roots in the old Germanic personal name of Dubber, which means "black auditor".
In Scotland, the name Dubs is thought to be of Gaelic origin, derived from 'dubh', which means 'black'.
The variant Dubose is thought to have French origins, derived from the word 'de bois', meaning 'of the woods'.
The name Dubrow is likely to be of Jewish origin, derived from 'Dubrovsky', derived from the Hebrew ‘dov’ meaning ‘bear’ and ‘bar’ meaning ‘son’.
The variant Duba is another form of Dubbe, which may have its origins in Romania or Slovakia.
Finally, the variant Dubis is another version of the Welsh Dubba, it is also derived from the Middle English word ‘dubb’, meaning ‘tar’.
Famous people with the name Dubbs
- Henry Dubbs: American major league baseball player
- Ed Dubbs: professional motorsports driver from California
- Andrew Dubbs: American actor and voice actor
- Jacob Dubbs: German industrialist
- William Dubbs: American soldier who fought in the American Civil War
- Galen Dubbs: American football coach
- Edward H. Dubbs: American mass murderer from Reading, Pennsylvania
- Sean Dubbs: founder and CEO of the biofuel company, Algenol Biofuels
- Joe Dubbs: Irish actor and comedian
- Paul Dubbs: Canadian ice hockey player