Surname Thibaud - Meaning and Origin

Trace of my Thibaud Ancestry through iGENEA DNA Test: A Journey of Surprises and Self-Realisation

My DNA test from iGENEA unveiled unexpected facets of my ancestors named Thibaud, altering my perception of my family heritage and fostering a deeper understanding of my identity.

B. Thibaud

Thibaud: What does the surname Thibaud mean?

The last name Thibaud is of French origin and derives from the personal name Thibaut, which is composed of Germanic elements: "theud", meaning "people", and "bald", meaning "bold or brave". Therefore, Thibaud can be understood to mean "brave people". It is a first name that became a surname and it was extremely popular in the Middle Ages, particularly among nobility and Knightly classes, due to several saints and seven counts of Champagne carrying this name. Like many surnames, Thibaud likely started as a way of identifying individuals more precisely - distinguishing between different individuals named Thibaud in the same area by referring to one's father. So, someone might have been referred to as "Thibaud's son", which eventually became the surname Thibaud.

Thibaud: Where does the name Thibaud come from?

The last name Thibaud is commonly found in several parts of the world. In France, this relatively common surname is mainly located in the southeastern part of the country, particularly in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes and Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur regions. It is also found in the Savoie and Haute-Savoie departments. Outside of France, Thibaud is a popular surname in Belgium and Luxembourg, where it is both a first and last name. Additionally, the last name Thibaud has spread to the United States, Canada, and Mexico as a result of French-speaking colonists in the 17th and 18th centuries. It is not uncommon to find Thibaud families in Louisiana, Nova Scotia, Quebec, and other areas of French Canada. As recently as the 2020 US Census, Thibaud was the 2,198th most common surname in the country, and the 162nd most common in Louisiana. This shared last name can be linked together by its origins in Old French, coming from the Latin name Theobaldus, meaning “brave people” or “bold people”.

Variations of the surname Thibaud

The surname Thibaud is a variant of the name Theobald which comes from the Germanic personal name Thiudbald and is likely of Teutonic origin. The variants of Thibaud are Theobald, Theobaldt, Theobaldus, Thibaut, and Tibbald. Thibaut and Thibault are the two most commonly occurring French versions of the name Thibaud.

The main spellings of Thibaud include Theobald, Thibaut, and Thibault. Thibaut is the preferred orthography in France, while Thibault is more often used in Quebec. Other spellings include Theobaldus, Thibeau, Tibo, Tibauld, Tippo and Tybalt.

The surname Thibaud can also be spelled as Thibodeau or Thibodeaux. Thibodeau is a more common spelling in Quebec while Thibodeaux can be seen elsewhere.

Surnames that share the same origin as Thibaud include Thibert, Thibaudeau, Thebaud, Thibaudeau, Thieme, Thiveaud, Tibbets, Tibbott, Tibbey, Tibbey, Thibideau, and Thiboutot.

Besides the French based variations, surnames derived from the same origin can also be found in countries of immigration such as Canada, England, Ireland, Scotland, and the United States. These surnames include Thibault, Thibadeau, Tibbs, Tibbetts, Tibbitts, Tibble, and Tybalt.

In conclusion, Thibaud is an ancient Franco-Teutonic name derived from the Germanic personal name Thiudbald. It has many different spellings and surnames that all share the same origin, giving it a wide range of variations.

Famous people with the name Thibaud

• Jean Thébaud (17th century painter and sculptor from Lorraine)
• Jean-Baptiste Thiébaud (18th century French card maker)
• Joseph Thiébaud (18th century sculptor and painter of Brittany)
• Paul Thiébaud (18th century painter from Lorraine)
• Jean Thiébaud (18th century painter from Lorraine)
• Albert Thiébaud (19th century painter from Bossouvres-en-Bresse)
• Edouard Thiébaud (19th century sculptor from Landes)
• Pierre Thiébaud (19th century sculptor from Dinan)
• Johnny Thiébaud (19th century packer from the Puy-de-Dôme)
• Camille Thiébaud (20th century French fencer)
• Alexandre Thiébaud (20th century French literary critic, journalist, poet, and writer of fiction and plays)
• Auguste Thiébaud (20th century painter from Brittany)
• Charles Thiébaud (20th century French politician)
• Laurent Thiébaud (20th century French footballer)
• Maurice Thiébaud (20th century French composer, director, and staff sergeant)
• Pierre Thiébaud (20th century French poet, writer, and librarian)
• Roger Thiébaud (20th century French politician & lawyer)
• Philippe Thiébaud (21st century French footballer)
• Jean-Marie Thiébaud (21st century French artist & photographer)
• Laurent Thiébaud (21st century French dancer)

Other surnames

ThibaultThibaut