Surname Tebben - Meaning and Origin
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Tebben: What does the surname Tebben mean?
The last name Tebben (or Tebbens) is a German-origin surname meaning “to make” or “to construct,” “to shape,” or “to form”, derived from the Middle High German word tebben which also means “to weave”. It is most commonly found in the German states of Lower Saxony, North Rhine-Westphalia and Brandenburg. Tebben is also a common surname in the Netherlands, particularly within the Dutch provinces of North and South Holland.
Some possible origins of the name include prosaic explanations, such as a nickname for a weaver or a builder. It is also possible that the name is a diminutive form of a personal or place name, especially given the fact that many spellings of the surname vary between Tebben and Tebbens.
The name Tebben may provide a hint into the familial history or occupation of individuals with that last name. The Tebben surname likely originates from an ancestor who was a weaver, tailor, or builder, or even a noble who built or maintained castles, fortifications, or monuments. The surname could also reflect an individual's place of origin, or occupation within a feudal system.
Today, the Tebben surname is found all around the world, but it retains much of the same meaning in every location. Each person with the surname Tebben (or a variation) can look back on the family history for a window into the lives of their ancestors and perhaps gain an understanding of what it takes to build, shape, and weave one’s destiny.
Order DNA origin analysisTebben: Where does the name Tebben come from?
The last name Tebben is most commonly found in Germany today. The exact origin of the Tebben surname is unknown, but it is thought to come from the Old German word for "thicket" or "brushwood". The Tebben name is also found in countries such as the United States, Australia, Luxembourg and the Netherlands.
In Germany, the Tebben surname is the 2,917th most common last name, with approximately 799 people bearing the name. It can be found primarily in the Thuringian-Vogtland region and the Königsberg area. Its second largest concentration is in the Ruhr area, where the name is mainly found in the cities of Dortmund, Gelsenkirchen, and Bochum.
The Tebben surname can also be found in other German speaking countries, with the greatest number in Luxembourg with approximately 60 people sharing the name. The surname is also relatively common in the Netherlands, with approximately 125 people sharing the name and living primarily in the North Brabant region as well as the cities of Amsterdam, Rotterdam, and Utrecht.
In the United States, the first known spelling of the Tebben surname appeared in naturalization records in 1881. By the turn of the century, the last name was evident in Chicago, Baltimore, Buffalo, and Cleveland, with many families of Tebben ancestry remaining in these places today. In Australia, there are approximately 33 people sharing the Tebben name, with individuals mainly residing in the southern state of Victoria.
Variations of the surname Tebben
The surname Tebben generally has one spelling and rarely has any variants. Tebben is the most common version and it is also the original name. It is believed to date back to the Middle Ages and may have originally been a habitation name, describing someone who lived at a location distinguished by one of various etymological elements. It is also likely to have been derived from the Old German words “tēpan” meaning “to cover” and “būan” which means “to dwell”.
There are no alternate spellings of the surname Tebben, however there are some surnames of similar origin. These include names such as Tippen, Tappin, Tebbing, Tebbinge, Teppen, and Teppin. All of these surnames may be derived either from a shortened version of Tebben, or from the same roots as Tebben.
The majority of Tebben families live in the Netherlands, where the surname is most commonly found. In Germany, it is found in areas such as North Rhine-Westphalia and Lower Saxony, while in the United Kingdom, it can be found most commonly in the northwest region. It is also found in other countries including Belgium, France and the United States.
Although Tebben is an uncommon surname, it is highly distinctive and easily recognisable. With its Germanic origins, Tebben is also a unique name which can be easily traced back hundreds of years.
Famous people with the name Tebben
- Torin Tebben: American professional cyclist
- Wilma Tebben: Dutch politician
- Roberto Tebben: Argentine professional footballer
- Erick Tebben: American Paleontologist
- Michael Tebben: Olympic alpine skier
- Clarence Tebben: Chief operating officer of a large German industrial group
- Sebastian Tebben: German biathlete
- Henricus Tebben: Dutch lawyer and politician
- Christoph Tebben: German tenor
- Gerhard Tebben: German lawyer