Combes is used as a family name or surname in France, England. It is 6 characters long in length.

Family Name / Last Name: Combes
No. of characters: 6
Origin: France, England
Meaning:

Lastname Combes is variation of Coumbe. See Combe - From Anglo-Saxon comb, Celtic cenm, a hollow in a hill, a valley. In medieval writings, At- Comb, At-Cumb, etc. There are places called Comb or Combe in Sussex, Devon, Somerset, &c. Combs in Suffolk-Coombe in Wilts, Dorset, and Hants,—and Coombs in Sussex, Derby, and Dorset. Several of these have conferred their names on families.

Professor Leo asserts that cumb means a mass of water-it originally signified a trough or bowl, and subsequently, not a valley—as Bosworth wrongly asserts—but an extensive though running sheet of water. The Professor's ground for this statement appears to be the occurrence of a heafod and an ævylm,-a head and a spring—in connection with acumb; but surely this is very slender evidence for so sweeping an assertion upper end of a valley is called its head, and that there should be a spring in a valley is nothing extraordinary. But some scholar maintain, therefore, with Dr. Bosworth, that COMBE is a valley, either with or without water. In fact, the South Downs are full of these depressions, which, from their geological position, can no more 'hold water' than can this notion of the learned philologist of Halle.

Family name Combes is form of Combe. Valley, sharp ridge; mass of water.

Combes is a variant form of Coombs. One who came from Coombes meaning "valleys," in Sussex.

Dweller at the deep hollow or valley.

Surname Combes is variation of the Combs. Dweller at the deep hollow or valley.

Surname Combes is a variation of Combe. From Anglo-Saxon comb, Celtic cenm, a hollow in a hill, a valley. In medieval writings, At- Comb, At-Cumb, etc. There are places called Comb or Combe in Sussex, Devon, Somerset, &c. Combs in Suffolk-Coombe in Wilts, Dorset, and Hants,—and Coombs in Sussex, Derby, and Dorset. Several of these have conferred their names on families.

Professor Leo asserts that cumb means a mass of water-it originally signified a trough or bowl, and subsequently, not a valley—as Bosworth wrongly asserts—but an extensive though running sheet of water. The Professor's ground for this statement appears to be the occurrence of a heafod and an ævylm,-a head and a spring—in connection with acumb; but surely this is very slender evidence for so sweeping an assertion upper end of a valley is called its head, and that there should be a spring in a valley is nothing extraordinary. But some scholar maintain, therefore, with Dr. Bosworth, that COMBE is a valley, either with or without water. In fact, the South Downs are full of these depressions, which, from their geological position, can no more 'hold water' than can this notion of the learned philologist of Halle.

From Anglo-Saxon comb, Celtic cenm, a hollow in a hill, a valley. In medieval writings, At- Comb, At-Cumb, etc. There are places called Comb or Combe in Sussex, Devon, Somerset, &c. Combs in Suffolk-Coombe in Wilts, Dorset, and Hants,—and Coombs in Sussex, Derby, and Dorset. Several of these have conferred their names on families.

Professor Leo asserts that cumb means a mass of water-it originally signified a trough or bowl, and subsequently, not a valley—as Bosworth wrongly asserts—but an extensive though running sheet of water. The Professor's ground for this statement appears to be the occurrence of a heafod and an ævylm,-a head and a spring—in connection with acumb; but surely this is very slender evidence for so sweeping an assertion upper end of a valley is called its head, and that there should be a spring in a valley is nothing extraordinary. But some scholar maintain, therefore, with Dr. Bosworth, that COMBE is a valley, either with or without water. In fact, the South Downs are full of these depressions, which, from their geological position, can no more 'hold water' than can this notion of the learned philologist of Halle.

How popular is Combes?

Combes is common in France, United States, Philippines, England, Australia, Argentina.

Combes is ranked 33702 on our list.

Despite the fact that the number of Combes bearers increased by 5.43 per cent in 2010 US census to 1185 since 2000, the surname slipped by 292 spots and ranked at 21912. The last name was found in around 4 per million population. Please refer to following table for race and ethnicity.

Race 2010 2000
White 86.24 91.1
Black 3.88 2.14
Combes is quite popular last name mostly concentrated in France which signifies its France provenence. Around 15767 people have been found who wears Combes as their family name. Combes is used widely across the globe. More detailed information can be found below:
RankCountryCount
Countries with ten thousands of Combes:
470 France11,742
Countries with thousands of Combes:
21,044 United States1,676
Countries with hundreds of Combes:
24,899 Philippines680
10,041 England594
10,632 Australia290
21,915 Argentina157
Countries with low frequency i.e., 50 - 100:
4,466 Dominican Republic100
19,279 Belgium86
49,778 Canada61
6,335 Scotland60
Countries with very low frequency i.e., 10 - 50:
1,249 New Caledonia47
49,506 Spain27
20,367 New Zealand23
28,226 Switzerland22
106,094 South Africa20
20,059 Venezuela20
3,086 French Polynesia18
343,519 Thailand16
6,353 Panama16
267,947 Brazil15
Countries with very very low frequency i.e., 6 - 10:
39,352 Ivory Coast10
90,587 Sweden8
33,195 Chile7
150,293 Malaysia7
340,600 Germany6
3,169 Isle of Man6
23,171 Wales6
Show Full Last Name Distribution

Immigrants to US

From Ireland

Mary Combes worked as immigrant and hailed from Ireland. During the great famine, 28 years old embarked for USA from Liverpool on Medomack and arrived on December 1, 1849. Mary-Ann Combes (34) Dressmaker, Dressmaker Mary-Ann Combes, John Combes, Kate Combes (6), William Combes, aged 4, are others that migrated to US.

From Germany

Adrien Combes from Switzerland aboard the Zurich from Havre on May 13, 1850. He is registered to be 6 years old when he arrived in USA. Auguste Combes, aged 1, Farmer Emil Combes, Farmer Friderike Combes, Farmer J.Adam Combes, Farmer Louise Combes, Marthe Combes (8), Ferdinand Combes (17) Laborer, 45 years old Joseph Combes, and 1 other Combes around 50% of whom were farmer while others worked as laborer migrated to US from Havre, St. Thomas, Bremen and Havana & Havre.

Combes Namesakes

  • Émile Combes, French statesman and freemason
  • Laura Combes, professional female bodybuilder
  • Harry Combes, a native of Monticello, Illinois

Combes Namesakes

  • Émile Combes, French statesman and freemason
  • Laura Combes, professional female bodybuilder
  • Harry Combes, a native of Monticello, Illinois

Related Family Names: