Meaning & History
Wemba is an Old English byname derived from the word wamb, meaning "belly." As a nickname, it likely referred to someone with a prominent belly or perhaps a gluttonous appetite. Bynames in Anglo-Saxon England were often based on physical characteristics, occupations, or personal traits, and Wemba fits this tradition. The name is notably recorded in early medieval sources, including the chronicles of Bede, where Wemba appears as a figure in Kentish royal genealogy. Though now obscure as a first name, it survives as a rare surname or as an element in place names like Wembdon in Somerset.