Find out how popular the last name Theobald is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Theobald.

Theobald, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Theobald surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Theobald in America

Theobald is the 7720th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Theobald surname appeared 4,300 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Theobald.

We can also compare 2010 data for Theobald to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Theobald

The surname Theobald originated from the Germanic personal name Theodbald, composed of the elements theud (people) and bald (bold or brave). It first emerged in the region of Swabia, located in modern-day southwestern Germany, during the 8th century AD.

Theobald was a relatively common name among the Frankish nobility and aristocracy during the Carolingian period. One of the earliest recorded examples is Theobald of Langres, a Frankish nobleman who lived in the late 8th century and served as the Count of Langres.

The surname Theobald can also be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, a survey of lands and properties commissioned by William the Conqueror after the Norman conquest of England. It appears as "Tedbaldus" and is listed among landholders in various counties, indicating that the name had spread beyond its Swabian origins.

During the Middle Ages, the name Theobald was particularly popular in England and France. Several prominent individuals bore this surname, including Theobald I, Count of Blois (995-1089), a powerful French nobleman and crusader, and Theobald of Cambridge (1160-1233), an English philosopher and theologian.

In the 13th century, Theobald of Navarre (1201-1270) was an influential figure in the history of France. He served as a powerful nobleman, regent, and later became the Count of Champagne and King of Navarre through his marriage to Queen Blanche of Navarre.

Another notable figure with the surname Theobald was Theobald Wolfe Tone (1763-1798), an Irish revolutionary and leader of the United Irishmen movement, who played a pivotal role in the Irish Rebellion of 1798.

Over time, the surname Theobald underwent various spelling variations, such as Thibault, Thibaut, Tebaldi, and Tebaldo, reflecting regional dialects and linguistic influences. It also gave rise to place names like Theobald's Park in Hertfordshire, England, and Thibault Creek in Louisiana, United States.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Theobald

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Theobald.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Theobald was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Theobald has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Theobald was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Theobald, please contact us.

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