← Surname Means
Parent’s name

Gilbert surname meaning

A surname from the Germanic personal name Gilbert, used as a patronymic in English and French records.

Confidence
High
US frequency
Rank 284 · 108,832 people
Common variants
Gislebert, Guilbert, Gilbard, Gylbert

The short story

Gilbert is a surname formed from the Germanic personal name Gilbert, carried into English and French records after the Norman period. The given name is traditionally analyzed with elements related to pledge or brightness, but those older components should not be presented as a single modern surname sentence. Gislebert, Guilbert, Gilbard, and Gylbert show historical or regional forms. Because Gilbert was a common given name, unrelated families could adopt it as a patronymic or inherited family name. Parent’s name is the high-confidence catalog type, while genealogy—not spelling—must establish a particular Gilbert line.

Also seen as: Gislebert, Guilbert, Gilbard, Gylbert

Sources used
  • Ancestry, Dictionary of American Family Names entry 'Gilbert' (surname from the personal name)
  • Wikipedia 'Gilbert (surname)' (Germanic given-name origin)
  • Names2020_LastNames_RaceHispanic_Top1000.xlsx (2020 Census)