Surname Gobbe - Meaning and Origin
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Gobbe: What does the surname Gobbe mean?
The surname Gobbe is believed to be from the Flemish region of West Flanders in Belgium. In Flemish, the word ‘gobbe’ means ‘hump’ which is believed to have referred to a physical feature or characteristic of an individual of the family. In other words, the name was likely bestowed to a person with a humpback or something similar.
The name is believed to have originated in the 1100s but its first known recorded occurrence dates back to 1525 when a Johan Gobbe of Ardennes, France is documented. From there, several branches of this surname can be found with members of the Gobbe family spread across Western Europe.
The Gobbe family name has made an impression across Belgium and beyond, with members of the family contributing greatly to various fields from areas of law, medicine, and religion to business and the military.
Today, the name continues to be popular and is preserved in several variations. These include, but are not limited to, Gobba, Goubaux, Gouba, Gobe, Gobbels, and Gobbaerts.
Order DNA origin analysisGobbe: Where does the name Gobbe come from?
The last name Gobbe is predominantly found in Belgium, especially in Flanders. It is thought to have originated with a family from the Netherlands who moved to Belgium in the late 1800s.
In Belgium, most of the people with that name live in the provinces of East Flanders and West Flanders, as well as Brussels. The Gobbe family is divided into two branches: the Gobbes of Flanders and the Gobbes of Tournaisis. The Gobbes of Flanders are the more numerous of the two, and several of the family members still reside in the region.
The Gobbe name is also found in small numbers in other parts of Europe, including Austria, France, Germany, Switzerland and the United Kingdom. It is also found in the United States, though still not to the same extent as in Europe.
A few of the most famous people with the Gobbe name include, painter Albert Gobbe, head of the Flemish department of the National Bank of Belgium Jean Gobbe, and Belgian politician Fernand Gobbe.
For further research, the genealogy website GenCircles.com offers an online community and access to public family trees with information about the Gobbe family genealogy. GenCircles also allows users to search for and contact other living Gobbe family members for more information about their family's history.
Variations of the surname Gobbe
Gobbe is an uncommon surname with limited occurrence in various parts of Western Europe. In France, the alternate spellings of the name include Gobbé, Gobbet, Gobbete, and Gobe. In Italy, the alternate spellings of the name include Gobbi, Gobba, and Gobbo. In Belgium, the alternate spellings of the name include Gobbee, Gobe, Gobée, Gobbert, Gobeette, and Gobbeau. The surname is derived from the Latin name "gobius," which in English translates to a type of fish also known as the goby.
The origin of the surname is most likely traced back to Northern and Central Italy, as this region has the largest concentration of the surname Gobbe. The Italian location of Veneto gives further corroboration to the origin of the surname Gobbe. Veneto is a region in Northern Italy where it is believed that the surname Gobbe first originated.
The surname Gobbe also has a few notable variants in other languages such as German, Yiddish, Belarusian, and Croatian. German variants of the name include Gabel, Gappel, Gapp, and Gebe. Yiddish variants include Goba and Gobbe. Belarusian variants include Hobe and Hóbe. Croatian variants include Gobać, Gobba, Gobović, and Gobić.
These variants convey that the original bearers of the surname Gobbe likely had roots in Italy, and took the name with them as they spread across Europe. The various spellings of the name further attest to this, as different cultures and languages altered the pronunciation over time. Today, the surname Gobbe is found in very small quantities in various locations across Europe.
Famous people with the name Gobbe
- Jean Gobbe: French politician and Mayor of the city of Le Mans from 1965 to 1977.
- Thierry Gobbe: Belgian football player, member of the Belgian national team from 1982 to 1985.
- Aurélien Gobe: French pianist, composer, and author.
- Olivier Gobbe: French footballer, who played for the French national team from 1985 to 1988.
- Gabriela Gobbe: Italian actress who has appeared in more than 30 films since 1990.
- Christine Gobbe: French singer-songwriter, released her debut album in 2008.
- Manon Gobbe: French gymnast, competed in the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio.
- Sylvain Gobbe: French cyclist and member of UCI ProTour team Cofidis since 2005.
- Anouk Gobbe: Dutch female tennis player, competed in the 2014 US Open.
- Jordan Gobbe: American actor, best known for his role on the television series King of Queens.