The Dibble surname

In the 2010 U.S. Census, 5,866 people carried this name — #5,884 among all U.S. surnames, about 1 in every 50,300 people counted. That is up 1% from 5,793 in 2000.

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What the name means

The meaning of the Dibble surname

A surname originating as a patronymic.

From a Middle English form of the given name Theobald.

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary (en.wiktionary.org) — entry «Dibble» (English), by Wiktionary contributors · licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 (creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0) · excerpt, lightly adapted.

As an English and Welsh surname

Bardsley explains it as ‘the son of Theobald’.

An early record he cites: Ralph Dibald, Yorkshire, 1273 — Hundred Rolls.

His entry covers Dibble, Dipple, Deeble, Daybell, Debold, Debell, Dible and Diable.

From Charles W. Bardsley, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames, with Special American Instances (London: Henry Frowde, 1901), p. 240 · public domain.

Among the farmers of England and Wales, 1880s

Dibble was found among the farmers of Somerset: 12 in every 10,000.

Guppy counted the farmers listed in each county’s directory and recorded a name only where it reached about 7 in every 10,000; where it does not appear, it was rarer than that, not absent.

Where it concentrates, on the map

Per 10,000 farmers, by county

Somerset 12

H. B. Guppy, «Homes of Family Names in Great Britain» (London, 1890), alphabetical list of English and Welsh names — public domain · farmers in Kelly’s Post Office Directories of the 1880s, per 10,000 farmers in each county.

In the first U.S. census, 1790

73 families named Dibble, or a close spelling, were counted in 1790.

Each family is counted by its head. About 436 people lived in those households, 6 to a family on average. The census counted these spellings together: Dibble, Dibbell, Dibbill, Dibol. The table lists white heads of families only, in the twelve states whose 1790 records survive; Virginia’s figures come from state lists of 1782–1785.

Families, by state

Connecticut 46
New York 19
Massachusetts 4
Vermont 3
New Hampshire 1

U.S. Census Bureau, «A Century of Population Growth from the First Census of the United States to the Twelfth, 1790–1900» (Washington, 1909), table 111, p. 237 — public domain · names carried by at least 100 white persons in 1790.

In print

Dibble in American newspapers,
1903–1923.

Newspaper page from The Bozeman Courier carrying the name Dibble
The Bozeman Courier 1923-11-28
Newspaper page from New Hampshire Farmer And Weekly Union carrying the name Dibble
New Hampshire Farmer And Weekly Union 1903-08-05
Newspaper page from Evening Star carrying the name Dibble
Evening Star 1923-11-25

Chronicling America, Library of Congress — digitised newspapers in the public domain · 68,848 pages in all carry the name.

In print

Dibble in Australian newspapers,
1830s–1990s.

2,022 articles name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Dibble. The most, 439, date from the 1920s. Weighed against how much of each state’s press from the same decades has been digitised, it stands out most in New South Wales, at 1.7 times its expected share.

Articles, by state

New South Wales 1,131
Queensland 339
Victoria 264
South Australia 140
Western Australia 63
Tasmania 54
ACT (Canberra) 24
Northern Territory 1

Trove, National Library of Australia (trove.nla.gov.au) · articles in its digitised newspapers that name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Dibble.

Who carried it

People named Dibble,
with a public archive behind them.

  • Sheldon Dibble
    Sheldon Dibble 1809–1845 · historian
  • Samuel Dibble
    Samuel Dibble 1837–1913 · lawyer
  • Eugene Dibble
    Eugene Dibble 1893–1968 · physician
  • John Dibble d. 1728 · politician
  • John Dibble d. 1728 · politician
  • Mary Dibble 1752–

Wikidata (CC0) · portraits via Wikimedia Commons, shown cropped, in the public domain or CC0 · 10 lives in all are documented under this name.

In the public record

People named Dibble,
in the records of 4 countries.

Soldiers, farmers, migrants and neighbours who carried the name and left a trace in public archives. Everyone shown here died long ago or was born more than a century ago.

United States748 records

748 records of the Dibble name in the United States
  • New York State death index (outside NYC), 1957–2001 234
  • U.S. Army enlistment records, World War II 215
  • U.S. veterans' cemetery records, burials to 2001 134
  • New York City birth, marriage and death certificates 119
  • U.S. alien registration index, 1940–1955 18
  • Passenger arrivals in the United States, 1820–1912 16
  • Irish Famine arrivals at New York, 1846–1851 4
  • U.S. service members who died in the Korean War 4
  • Sacramento County historic burials 2
  • U.S. service members who died in the Vietnam War 2
  1. Names engraved on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Washington, D.C.
    Example: U.S. war memorial
    War record Morris Frederick Dibble

    Born 1944; from Corning, New York. U.S. Army, infantryman; killed in action 1965 in Binh Duong, South Vietnam. Buried at Woodlawn National Cemetery, New York.

    U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain); U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0)
  2. A United States Selective Service registration card, 1942
    Example: U.S. registration card, 1942
    Military record Parker J. Dibble

    Born 1922 in Tennessee. Enlisted 1942 at Fort Oglethorpe, Georgia; apprentice from Davidson County. U.S. Army veteran of World War II; died 1982, buried at Nashville National Cemetery, Tennessee.

    U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain); U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0)
  3. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Mine Dibble

    Arrived at New York in 1889 aboard the Veendam from Rotterdam, aged 30; laborer. From France.

    U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted)

Showing 3 of 748 records for Dibble in the United States.

Counts: New York State Department of Health, Genealogical Research Death Index · U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain) · U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0) · NYC Department of Records & Information Services, Historical Vital Records (NYC Open Data) · U.S. National Archives, Flexoline Index Data File (public domain) · U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted) · U.S. National Archives, Famine Irish Passenger Records (public domain) · U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain) · Sacramento County, Historic Burials (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Vietnam Veterans Memorial, photo by U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Michael J. Carden, 2009 (public domain); U.S. Selective Service registration card, 1942 (public domain); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain).

Australia115 records

115 records of the Dibble name in Australia
  • Victoria passenger lists, 1839–1923 58
  • Queensland State Archives indexes 29
  • Victoria wills and probate, deaths to 2001 12
  • Tasmanian Names Index 10
  • NSW convict, estate and railway indexes 6
  1. An 1829 etching of convicts being rowed out to the prison ship York in Portsmouth Harbour
    Pictured: convicts going on board a prison ship, 1829
    Transportation record Mary Dibble

    Transported to Van Diemen's Land aboard the Emma Eugenia, sailing from London in 1850. Native of Bristol, Gloucestershire.

    Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record George Dibble

    Arrived in Victoria in 1853 aboard the John Melhuish, aged 30; English.

    Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A petition to the probate court of St. Louis, 1848
    Example: probate petition, 1848
    Probate record Lionel William H. Dibble

    Retired of Cheltenham, Victoria; died 1987.

    Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 115 records for Dibble in Australia.

Counts: Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0) · Queensland State Archives (CC BY 4.0) · Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0) · Museums of History NSW – State Archives Collection (CC BY). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Prison-ship in Portsmouth Harbour, with the convicts going on board, etching by Edward William Cooke, 1829, Royal Museums Greenwich (public domain); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain); Petition to the probate court, St. Louis, 1848, Missouri Historical Society (public domain).

Canada7 records

7 records of the Dibble name in Canada
  • Mountain View Cemetery, Vancouver 4
  • Canadian Virtual War Memorial 2
  • Nova Scotia Archives name indexes 1
  1. Fairview Lawn Cemetery in Halifax, Nova Scotia
    Example: Canadian cemetery
    Burial record Isaac James Dibble

    Died 1972; buried at Mountain View Cemetery, Vancouver, British Columbia.

    City of Vancouver. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Vancouver.
  2. A Canadian First World War grave register card for a soldier who died of wounds in 1917
    Example: Canadian war grave register, 1917
    War record Harry Dibble

    Died in service in 1918.

    Veterans Affairs Canada. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Canada.
  3. A marriage entry in the civil register of Tilburg, 1911
    Example: marriage register, 1911
    Marriage record Irvin Dibble

    Married 1912 in Halifax, Nova Scotia.

    Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia.

Showing 3 of 7 records for Dibble in Canada.

Counts: City of Vancouver. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Vancouver. · Veterans Affairs Canada. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Canada. · Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia. Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Fairview Lawn Cemetery, Halifax, photo by Edgar El (CC BY 3.0); Canadian First World War circumstances-of-death register (scan by Scottgraham87 via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0); Marriage register, Tilburg, 1911, Regionaal Archief Tilburg (public domain).

United Kingdom7 records

7 records of the Dibble name in the United Kingdom
  • War Office casualty lists, 1917–1919, among the dead 5
  • St James's burial ground, Euston (London), 1789–1853 2
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Edwin James Dibble

    Buried in 1793 at St James's burial ground, Euston, London, aged 21.

    MOLA and HS2, St James's burial ground data. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
  2. A First World War roll of honour of the staff of C. & E. Morton Ltd
    Example: roll of honour, 1914–1919
    War record J. Dibble

    Cheshire Regiment. Listed among the dead in the War Office casualty list of 1918.

    National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain)
  3. A First World War roll of honour of the staff of C. & E. Morton Ltd
    Example: roll of honour, 1914–1919
    War record H. Dibble

    Middlesex Regiment. Listed among the dead in the War Office casualty list of 1918.

    National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain)

Showing 3 of 7 records for Dibble in the United Kingdom.

Counts: National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain) · MOLA and HS2, St James's burial ground data. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Burial register of Newtown, Montgomeryshire, 1858, National Library of Wales (CC0); C. & E. Morton Ltd roll of honour, 1914–1919, photo by Adrian S Pye via Geograph (CC BY-SA 2.0).

Nearby in the index

Surnames next to Dibble.

When the index is not enough

This page says where Dibble is.
A volume says what happened to it.

Every page in the index is free and stays free. The Heritage Volume is the long form: the full paper trail, the arms, the crossing — bound, and yours.

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