The following paragraph on the origin of the Webb surname is excerpted from a brochure include with a Webb coat-of-arms fridge magnet that I recently purchased. The original document is © 1995 by Blue Chip Products.

"The name Webb can be found in the earliest of records -- an Alger se Webba is recorded as living in 1100 and later a Wigor Webbe is listed in 1221. [...] The name Webb is occupational, from the Old English word 'webba' (masculine) and 'webbe' (feminine) meaning 'weaver'. It is especially popular in Wiltshire and Somerset."

P.H. Reaney. A Dictionary Of English Surnames (Second revised edition, 1976) has some additional examples of early usage of the surname:

"Alger se Webba c1100-30 OEByn (D); Jernagan, Osbert, Wigor Webbe 1221 ElyA (Sf); Elyas le Webbe 1255 Oseney (O); Alice la Webbe, Webbes 1337 ColchCt. OE webba (m) or webbe (f), 'weaver'.

Sources cited:

• OEByn -- G.Tengvik, Old English Bynames, Uppsala 1938
• ElyA -- BM.Cotton Tiberius B ii
• Oseney -- Cartulary of Oseney Abbey (Oxford Hist. Soc. 89-91, 97, 98, 101, 1929-35)
• ColchCt -- Court Rolls of the Borough of Colchester, 3 vols, Colchester 1921-41

I make no claims about the accuracy or completeness of this information.

Note that while the overwhelming majority of Webbs in Canada are of English origins, there are some exceptions -- there are Webbs from Ireland, Wales, and even a few of Dutch origin.

This document is part of the Webb Page.

Last Modified: June 29, 2012