Surname Toben - Meaning and Origin
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Toben: What does the surname Toben mean?
The last name Toben is of German and Jewish origin. It is believed to have been derived from the Middle High German word 'touben', which means 'house'. This could have referred to a person who lived in a certain home or a certain area, as the surname would have likely been adopted as a descriptor for someone from that particular place.
Toben is also thought to have been adopted as an occupational or given name to describe a maker of beds or mattresses, and could have linkages to the Flemish Old English word 'tuon', meaning 'to cover.'
The name is thought to have first emerged in the mid-14th century in western Germany, eventually making its way to the Ashkenazic Jewish lands of Eastern Europe, where many people with the surname are thought to have resided before migrating to countries like the United States and Australia in the 19th and 20th centuries.
Toben is a relatively rare name, and the Toben families that exist today are likely to be descendants of the few original families who chose this surname. They are thought to be spread throughout the world, with many now residing in North America, United Kingdom, Australia, and some parts of Asia.
Order DNA origin analysisToben: Where does the name Toben come from?
The last name Toben is most commonly found in Germany. In the country, Toben is the 115th most common surname. It is also found in Austria, the United States, Britain and other European countries. Records show that the surname originated in the region of the Rhineland in Germany in the Middle Ages. The name was probably derived from the German occupational term ‘Tobener’, meaning a maker of dice games or a gambler.
For individuals living in Germany, the presence of the Toben surname in their area can be examined using the search engine of the German telecommunications provider Deutsche Telekom. This search engine provides details of people with Toben as their surname living within a given region of Germany.
In the United States, the Toben surname is ranked at #68,324 in the census 2000 rankings. The prevalence of the name is higher in some regions, including New York, Illinois and Pennsylvania. According to the 2000 census data, there are about 15,000 people with the last name Toben in the United States.
In England and other parts of Europe, the surname Toben is relatively uncommon. Records indicate that the name is found in Scotland, Wales, France, Spain and some other countries.
Overall, the last name Toben is most common in Germany, and can also be found in the United States, Britain and other parts of Europe.
Variations of the surname Toben
The surname Toben is believed to have French origins and is a variant of the more widely-known surname Lebon. It is believed to have originated from the old French phrase le bon, which translates to mean “the good”. Due to the frequent changes in spelling and language through the centuries, this surname has developed several alternate spellings including Tauban, Tobin, Toban, Tubin, and Tuban.
It is likely that the French-sounding surname Toben evolved from the more ancient Germanic name Teutonic, which is made up of the elements “teut” meaning ‘people’ and “son” meaning ‘son of’. It is thought that the Teutonic surname was brought to England following the Norman Conquest of 1066. As such, other surnames derived from the same root include Tafton, Toubin, Tavton, Destroy, Tevedon, Tofin, Tevin, Tobey, Tevlin, D’Tobin, and Teubin.
Today, the surname Toben has many variant spellings, primarily in the English-speaking countries, and is particularly common in France, Ireland and the United Kingdom. It is also found in various forms in Germany, Russia and the United States (including Toben, Tauban, Tobin, Tubin, Toban, Tuban, and Cauvin).
Given the incredibly varied branches of the Lebon/Toben line, it is possible to find a wide variety of surnames with a possible common origin. In general, any surname ending with “-ton” or “-tin” could originate from this family, as well as other versions of the name like Devlin, Dubin, or Daubin.
Although the spelling of Toben has varied over the centuries, the meaning of the surname remains consistent: “the good.” Regardless of its present form, this surname speaks to a unifying quality of goodness, and to the shared history of the Lebon/Toben family.
Famous people with the name Toben
- Max Toben: German Historian
- Chris Toben: Australian Entrepreneur
- Anna Toben: American Novelist
- Joe Toben: American Politician
- John Toben: Canadian Singer
- William Toben: English Football Player
- Sarah Toben: English Swimmer
- Kenneth Toben: American Composer
- Esther Toben: Dutch Painter 10.Winston Toben: American Actor