Surname Weatherbe - Meaning and Origin
all surnames with 'W'
Weatherbe: What does the surname Weatherbe mean?
The surname Weatherbe is of English origin but its exact meaning is not clearly defined. One interpretation could be a locational name derived from a place called Weatherby, which could mean "farmstead or village of Weðer" (an old personal name) or "wether-sheep farm" in Old English. In Middle English, 'wether' meant a castrated ram and 'by' denoted a farm or settlement. Therefore, a plausible meaning could be 'farm with the wether-sheep'. However, these interpretations are speculative and there has been no definitive research confirming them. Like many surnames, Weatherbe has likely morphed and changed over generations, which can make tracing its exact origin challenging. Surnames can also be influenced by occupations, geographical features, or a patriarch or matriarch’s name. The varieties of the name include Weatherbee, Wetherby, and Weatherby, among others.
Order DNA origin analysisWeatherbe: Where does the name Weatherbe come from?
The last name Weatherbe is most common in and around the United Kingdom. According to the 1881 UK Census, there were a total of 1316 Weatherbe households spread across the UK, mostly concentrated in southern England and East Anglia. The top five counties for Weatherbes at the time were Berkshire, Lancashire, Essex, Staffordshire, and Kent.
The name is not particularly common today, with only a few hundred bearers of the name in the UK. Many descendants of Weatherbe families have emigrated to different parts of the world, particularly to countries such as Canada, the United States, Australia, and New Zealand. In the United States, the name is most commonly seen in the states of Massachusetts, New York, and California.
The origin of the Weatherbe name is uncertain, but it is likely that it is of Anglo-Saxon origin. The name is derived from the Old English noun “weder”, meaning “weather”, and the suffix “-be”, which describes a person. This suggests that the original bearer of the name was someone who was associated with the weather or had some form of occupation linked to it.
Overall, the Weatherbe last name is not particularly common today, particularly outside of the UK. However, many descendants of original Weatherbe families still exist in different parts of the world.
Variations of the surname Weatherbe
Weatherbe is a common surname of English origin. It is derived from an Old English personal name, Weath-ber, meaning ‘strong as the weather’. This surname was mostly found in Yorkshire and Lancashire by the fourteenth century.
Variants of the surname Weatherbe include following spellings: Weaterbe, Weatherebe, Weatherbee, Wetherbee, Wotherbee, Wetherell, Witherill, Witherall and Witherow.
Variations in spelling of the name Weatherbe during the times can occur due to a number of reasons including the fact that the names recorded in different periods were spelled differently due to dialect and language differences. The literacy level of the general population, scribes auditory mistakes when recording names were also common.
The surnames Weatherbe and Wetherbee are related. Records from the fifteenth century show that the explanation could be as simple as ‘the u is mistaken for a w’. In the eighteenth century, the surnames Witherill, Witherall and Witherow are known to be related to the name Weatherbe.
Another variation of the surname is Wheatus, which may be of Celtic or English origin. It is mainly concentrated in Scotland, where the surname Wheatus had a Gaelic origin. It was originally derived from a place name, during the early twelfth century.
The current distribution shows a concentration of the surname Weatherbe in the United Kingdom, particularly in England and Scotland.
Famous people with the name Weatherbe
- Kyle Weatherbe: Hollywood film director, screenwriter, and producer.
- David Weatherbe: Radio and TV host and producer.
- Paul Weatherbe: Retired professional hockey player who played in the NHL for the Boston Bruins.
- Vivian Weatherbe: Two-time Grammy Award-winning singer-songwriter.
- Joe Weatherbe: Former NFL running back who played for the Dallas Cowboys and New York Giants.
- Emily Weatherbe: Professional surfer who currently competes on the World Surf League.
- Roger Weatherbe: Emmy Award-winning television host and anchor.
- Christopher Weatherbe: Award-winning aerial photographer and cinematographer.
- Taylor Weatherbe: Award-winning theater and television actor.
- Sean Weatherbe: candidate for the 2020 Canadian federal election