Possibly derived from Ugartic
zbl meaning "prince". In the Old Testament Zebulun is the tenth son of
Jacob (his sixth son by
Leah) and the ancestor of one of the twelve tribes of Israel. Genesis 30:20 implies two different roots for the name:
זָבַל (zaval) "to dwell" and
זֵבֵד (zeved) "gift, dowry". These are probably only folk etymologies.