Hubert

Recorded in many spellings including Hubert, Hubart, Hobart, (English), Hubert, Hubaud, Hubeau, Hubeaux, (French), Huber, Huberich, Hubert, and Hueblin, (German), this is a surname of pre 7th century Germanic and Norse origins. It derives from the personal name Hugibert, a compound of "hug" meaning heart, and "beorht" - bright or famous, a translation which no doubt contributed to its early popularity. The name was probably introduced into both Britain and France in the 8th century by Viking invaders, although its first known recording anywhere would seem to be that of 'Eudo filius Huberti' in the Domesday Book of 1086, after the Norman Conquest. This was not of course a surname, the first of these being Roger Hubert, who appears in the tax rolls of Northumberland in 1199. The patron saint of hunting, is St. Hubert of Liege, in Belgium and other interesting recordings include Pastor John Hubbard. He embarked from London on 17th April 1635, bound for the new colony of Virginia. He was both one of the early settlers in the New England colonies, and also one of the first students at the fledgling Harvard University, of which he later became president in 1688. Surnames became necessary when governments introduced personal taxation. In England this was sometimes known as the Poll Tax. Throughout the centuries, surnames in every country have continued to "develop" often leading to astonishing variants of the original spelling.