User-submitted Reference

Dabdoub is an Arabic word that means 'bear cub' or 'little bear'. It can even be used to refer to a stuffed animal like a 'teddy bear'. It was originated in Bethlehem as the nickname for two brothers who migrated from Italy - some say that they were part of the Crusaders and later preferred to stay behind working as translators. There are a couple of websites about the origins of this family surname.

"It seems that in the fifteenth century AD, two Italian brothers from the region of Monteforte in Italy, and while on pilgrimage to Bethlehem, decided to reside in the then-small town. Their aim was to learn the Arabic language and work as translators to the Italian pilgrims (possibly the only pilgrims to the Holy Land at the time) who used to come and visit the birth and place of crucifixion an burial of Jesus (the Church of nativity in Bethlehem and the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem.)

And so the two brothers achieved their purpose and became residents of Bethlehem working as translators as they had once wished.

In the beginning, the Bethlehemites used to address these two foreign strangers (probably because their names were too difficult to pronounce at the time) with their craft or trade, the translators: al tarajmeh....

It is said that the first ancestor of the family used to have a very heavy-built. When he walked, he had a slow pace but a very heavy stomp on the ground; and he used to tilt left and right really heavily. The name came about after some apparent prank-loving youngsters characterized him as 'walking like a bear (dib)'; but later the nickname was softened to refer instead to the baby bear (dabdoub) to avoid insult to the man and his family." (source)