Tibby

Tibby is an English pet form of Tibalt or Tibbald, themselves medieval vernacular variants of Theobald, a name of Germanic origin composed of the elements theud, meaning people or folk, and bald, meaning bold or brave. The name was also used as a familiar form of Isabel in Scotland and northern England, following a common practice of shortening names to a single syllable with a -by diminutive suffix. In early modern English literature and folklore, Tibby and its root form Tib were occasionally used as stock names for a cat, a usage that reinforced the name's informal, affectionate character. Related forms include Tibalt, Theobald, Tybalt, and Isabel.