Given name & surname · also French, Germanic
Gilbert
“servant of St BRIDGET”·“of the bright promise”·“one who is trustworthy”
Gilbert is used as a given name and a surname. Interpretations include “servant of St BRIDGET”, “of the bright promise”, and “one who is trustworthy”. These belong to different or overlapping naming contexts.
Meaning & origin
What it means
Interpretations include “servant of St BRIDGET”, “of the bright promise”, and “one who is trustworthy”. These belong to different or overlapping naming contexts.
Where it comes from
An origin associated with this spelling is Germanic.
How it developed
In French usage, Gilbert developed from Gislebert.
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1880. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin.
From dated birth records
Gilbert through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 130,821
- 130,148 boys · 673 girls
- Most popular year
- 1930
- 2,138 babies
- 2025
- 145
- #1,330 for boys
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- −15%
- Easing
Where it’s given
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 145 U.S. birth records for boys, ranking No. 1,330 among boys’ names. Average annual use for boys was 15.3% lower in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. Its largest published annual count for boys was 2,119 in 1930. In 2025, California and Texas shared the largest reported state-level birth count for boys with this name (22 each). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 68,862 as a first name in 2020; 108,832 as a surname in 2020.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
Gilbert’s family of names
In English usage, Gilbert has a diminutive in Gil. Gilbert has a feminine form in Gilberta. In English usage, Gilbert has a conventional equivalent in the Spanish form Gilberto.
Inner ring: spellings · middle: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Around the world
Gilbert has relatives in 13 languages. Lines run from its Proto-Germanic roots to each of them.
18 related names in 13 languages. Point at a dot, or tab to the map and use the arrow keys.
Nicknames & forms 24
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
Spellings & scripts 2
The same name written differently, including transliterations into other scripts.
Across languages 19
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
See also 1
Names our sources mention alongside this one. They are related in story or meaning, not forms of this name.
People named Gilbert
- G. K. ChestertonEnglish author and Christian apologist (1874–1936)
- Gilbert GottfriedAmerican stand-up comedian (1955–2022)
- Gilbert N. LewisAmerican physical chemist1875–1946
- Gilbert RyleBritish philosopher1900–1976
- Gilbert ArenasAmerican basketball playerborn 1982
- Gil Scott-HeronAmerican soul and jazz poet, musician, and author (1949–2011)
- Gilbert BakerAmerican artist and gay rights activist (1951–2017)
- Gilbert StuartAmerican painter (1755–1828)
- Broncho Billy AndersonAmerican actor, writer, film director, and film producer (1880–1971)
Characters named Gilbert: Gilbert Durandal (Mobile Suit Gundam SEED Destiny), Gilbert Blythe (fictional character).
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Similar names
If you love Gilbert, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
Herbert
“an illustrious warrior”
>99% boys
Delbert
“one who is noble; a bright man”
>99% boys
Garner
“one who gathers or keeps grain”
83% boys · 17% girls
Hubert
“having a shining intellect”
>99% boys
Gene
“a wellborn man” · “a wellborn woman”
98% boys · 2% girls
Wilbert
“one who is willful; a bright man”
>99% boys
Lyle
“from the island”
98% boys · 2% girls
Melvin
“a friend who offers counsel”
>99% boys