Herbert
/ˈhɜːr.bərt/noun
A male given name and surname of Germanic origin.
Did you know?Herbert comes from a Germanic name built from *hari* (“army”) and *berht* (“bright, shining”), a classic warrior-name formula used by early medieval elites.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*harjaz
“army, host”
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*berhtaz
“bright, shining, famous”
Early Germanic
Germanic
*Hariberhtaz
“a compound personal name meaning 'bright army' or 'army-famous'”
Old High German
OHG
Heribert
“personal name”
Old French
OF
Herbert
“personal name adopted into French and English usage”
Modern English
English
Herbert
“a male given name and surname”