Hobhouse Family History

From Hobhouse in Drewsteignton (Devon) or from a place named from an expression with the same etymology: ‘Hobbe's house’ or ‘goblin house’ (Middle English hobbe ‘goblin’ from a derivative of the given name Robert or Robin). For such a name, compare Johannes Hobbecastel 1379 in Poll Tax (Bremhill Wilts).

This name may possibly be a nickname from the very variable Middle English hobbe-thurs ‘hobgoblin’. No actual use of the term as a personal nickname has been found. However, hobbe-thurs shows up in forms to some extent suggestive of Hobhouse and its variants in the Paston Letters (1489) ‘Mayster Hobbe Hyrste Robyn God-felaws brodyr’.

Additionally, late forms collected by antiquarian writers such as ‘Hob Thrush or ‘Hob o' th' Hurst’’ (1867) further illustrate the evolution of the name. There is also the name of the Peak District sprite Hob Hurst, which can be seen in Hob Hurst's House, a Bronze Age barrow on Beeley Moor Peak District near Bakewell (Derbys).

These references indicate a strong connection to folklore and local legend, providing cultural context to the names associated with ‘Hob’ and its derivatives. The mention of Hopthrow and Hoptroff may also highlight the variations and adaptations of similar names within the region.