Gilbert
/ˈɡɪl.bərt/noun
A male given name and surname of Germanic origin.
Did you know?The name ultimately combines a Germanic word for a pledge or oath with a root meaning bright or famous, so it began as a kind of “shining vow” in medieval naming traditions.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*gīslaz
“pledge, hostage”
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*berhtaz
“bright, shining, famous”
Old High German
OHG
Gisilberht
“bright pledge / famous pledge”
Old French
OF
Guilbert
“a Norman French form of the name”
Middle English
English
Gilbert
“a personal name and later surname in English”