Where does the name Gilbert come from?

Gilbert is a boy name of Germanic origin.

Is Gilbert a boy or a girl name?

Gilbert is overwhelmingly a boy name in the United States. Of the 129,868 U.S. babies recorded with this name, more than 99% are boys.

How popular is the name Gilbert in 2023?

Gilbert ranks #1174 for boys in the U.S. Social Security Administration's 2023 dataset. Its all-time U.S. peak was 1930 with 2,119 babies.

How do you pronounce Gilbert?

Gilbert is pronounced GIL-bert (2 syllables).

What are common spellings of Gilbert?

Gilbert is also written as Gil, Gilberto, Gibby.

A name from Germanic · Boy

Gilbert

From Germanic gisil ('pledge, hostage') + beraht ('bright'); 'bright pledge'. Saint Gilbert of Sempringham founded the only medieval religious order of English origin.

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Popularity over time

A 143-year arc in numbers.

129,868 U.S. births recorded from 1880–2023.

Popularity · 1880–2023

175 births in 2023

1880 1951 2023

Babies named per year Peak year Most recent

Meaning

A name that means something.

GFrom Germanic gisil ('pledge, hostage') + beraht ('bright'); 'bright pledge'. Saint Gilbert of Sempringham founded the only medieval religious order of English origin.

Variants & spellings

3 ways to spell "Gilbert".

Each transliteration carries a slightly different cultural fingerprint.

Gil Most common Gilberto Gibby

Famous bearers

People who carry the name Gilbert.

G
Gilbert Gottfried (comedian)
G
W.S. Gilbert (of Gilbert and Sullivan; surname)
G
Gilbert Arenas (NBA guard)

Quick answers

People often ask about Gilbert.

What does the name Gilbert mean?: Gilbert means from Germanic gisil ('pledge, hostage') + beraht ('bright'); 'bright pledge'. Saint Gilbert of Sempringham founded the only medieval religious order of English origin.
Where does the name Gilbert come from?: Gilbert is a boy name of Germanic origin.
Is Gilbert a boy or a girl name?: Gilbert is overwhelmingly a boy name in the United States. Of the 129,868 U.S. babies recorded with this name, more than 99% are boys.
How popular is the name Gilbert in 2023?: Gilbert ranks #1174 for boys in the U.S. Social Security Administration's 2023 dataset. Its all-time U.S. peak was 1930 with 2,119 babies.
How do you pronounce Gilbert?: Gilbert is pronounced GIL-bert (2 syllables).
What are common spellings of Gilbert?: Gilbert is also written as Gil, Gilberto, Gibby.

Similar names

If you love Gilbert, also consider…

Robert

#88

Boy ·Germanic

Bright fame; from 'hrod' (fame) and 'beraht' (bright)

From Old High German Ricohard — rīc, "ruler, power," + hard, "brave, strong" — i

Ruler of the home; estate ruler

Walter

#267

Boy ·Germanic

From Old High German Walthari — wald, "rule," + hari, "army" — i

About this page

Popularity counts come from the U.S. Social Security Administration's national dataset. Meanings and origins are curated from etymological sources. If you spot an error, please let us know.