Given name & surname · also Germanic
Lambert
“the light of the land”
Lambert is used as a given name and a surname. One Scandinavian interpretation is “the light of the land.”
Meaning & origin
What it means
One Scandinavian interpretation is “the light of the land.”
Where it comes from
An origin associated with this spelling is Germanic.
How it developed
Its Germanic formation brings together land (“land, territory”) and beorht (“famous”).
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1881. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin.
From dated birth records
Lambert through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 3,515
- 3,515 boys · 0 girls
- Most popular year
- 1918
- 98 babies
- 2025
- 12
- #7,033 for boys
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- −25%
- Easing
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 12 U.S. birth records for boys, ranking No. 7,033 among boys’ names. Average annual use for boys was 24.6% lower in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. Its largest published annual count for boys was 98 in 1918. Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 1,832 as a first name in 2020; 89,460 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.
Lambert’s family of names
In English usage, Lambert as a surname has a short form in LAMB. In English usage, Lambert shares a linguistic root with the Old English form Landbeorht. In Polish usage, Lambert has a conventional equivalent in the Italian form Lamberto.
Inner ring: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Around the world
Lambert has relatives in 9 languages. Lines run from its Proto-Germanic roots to each of them.
12 related names in 9 languages. Point at a dot, or tab to the map and use the arrow keys.
Nicknames & forms 16
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
Across languages 9
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
- Lancelotcognate · English
- Lambertusequivalent
- Lantberhtcognate · Old High German
- Landbeorhtcognate · Old English
- Lambietcognate · Walloon
- Lambingpatronymic from · English
- Lambertinefeminine form
- Lambertefeminine form
Show 1 moreShow fewer
See also 1
Names our sources mention alongside this one. They are related in story or meaning, not forms of this name.
People named Lambert
- Adolphe QueteletBelgian astronomer, mathematician, statistician and sociologist (1796-1874)
- Lambert of Italyking of Italy, Holy Roman Emperor, and Duke of Spoleto and Camerino (880-898)876–898
- Lambert WilsonFrench actorborn 1958
- Lambert of Maastrichtbishop of Maastricht (635-705)
- Lambert I of LouvainBelgian noble950–1015
- Lambert LombardFlemish painter (1505-1566)
- Lambert SimnelImposter-pretender to the throne of England1477–1535
- Lambert HillyerFilm director, Screenwriter (1893-1969)
- Lambert-Sigisbert AdamFrench sculptor (1700–1759)
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Similar names
If you love Lambert, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
Elbert
“a wellborn man” · “a bright man”
>99% boys
Wilbert
“one who is willful; a bright man”
>99% boys
Hubert
“having a shining intellect”
>99% boys
Buster
“pockmark, boil”
>99% boys
Norbert
“one who shines from the north”
>99% boys
Arne
“resembling an eagle”
>99% boys
Adolph
“a noble, majestic wolf”
>99% boys
Godfrey
“God is peace”
>99% boys