Talbot

(male) Transferred use of the surname. This is of much debated origin, but seems most likely to be from a Norman French personal name of Germanic origin, composed of the elements tal ‘to destroy’ + bod ‘message, tidings’. This is the surname of an ancient Irish family of Norman origin, who have held the earldoms of Shrewsbury and Waterford since the 15th century. The old word talbot, denoting a kind of hunting dog, is from the surname.