boy's name
Gilbert
GIL-bert
- Origin Germanic
- Gender Boy
- Syllables 2
- Letters 7
- Popularity Uncommon
- Births on record 312,197
Ireland
#368
1988 births
Gilbert is a boy's name from Germanic elements meaning bright pledge, and it founded the only medieval religious order native to England. Our data marks it stable, and it ranks 1331st in the United States.
- Gilbert is a name of Germanic origin.
- Peaked in France in 1947, when 5,285 babies were given the name.
- Its usage has held steady over the past decade in France.
- First appears in birth records in 1900.
- 2 syllables, with the stress on syllable 1.
Gilbert over time
Births per decade in France, 1900s to 2020s. The striped bar is the 2020s, still in progress — it covers 2020 to 2023, not a full ten years.
Show the numbers
| Decade | Births |
|---|---|
| 1900s | 6,245 |
| 1910s | 10,115 |
| 1920s | 33,365 |
| 1930s | 42,015 |
| 1940s | 39,625 |
| 1950s | 34,860 |
| 1960s | 11,100 |
| 1970s | 1,940 |
| 1980s | 555 |
| 1990s | 195 |
| 2000s | 65 |
| 2010s | 45 |
| 2020s (to 2023) | 10 |
What Gilbert means
Gilbert means bright pledge, or shining hostage. The first element named a hostage given as security for a promise, so the name refers to a guarantee rather than to a person's character.
Where Gilbert comes from
Gilbert comes from the Germanic Gisilberht — gisil, a pledge or hostage, joined to beraht, bright or famous. The first element is worth pausing on: in early medieval Europe hostages were routinely exchanged as security for treaties and were often noble children raised at another court, so being a pledge was a position of standing rather than captivity. Saint Gilbert of Sempringham founded the Gilbertines in the twelfth century, the only monastic order to originate in England, and it did not survive the dissolution. The Normans brought the name to England, where it gave the surnames Gibson and Gilbertson.
Gilbert in use
Gilbert peaked in France in 1947, when 5,285 babies were registered, and our data marks it stable rather than falling. It now ranks 1331st in the United States on 145 births and 2119th in England and Wales, across 312,197 lifetime births in three of the seven markets we track. It does not currently chart in France, which holds the bulk of its recorded history.
How popular is Gilbert?
In 2023, Gilbert was given to 5 babies in France. It is used consistently but remains uncommon.
Where Gilbert is used
French counts are rounded to the nearest five and nothing below five is published, so these figures show the shape of the name's use rather than an exact tally. Data & sources.
Names that peaked alongside Gilbert
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents who like Gilbert also like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Gilbert over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
2 nicknames for Gilbert
Each one is a name in its own right — the figure underneath is how it is doing today, so you can see which short forms are rising and which have faded.
Gilbert in other languages
The same name as it is spelled elsewhere — not shortenings, and not different names that merely sound alike. Each one has its own record here.
Sibling names for Gilbert
Names from the same era that won't rhyme or share an initial with Gilbert — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common questions about Gilbert
What does the name Gilbert mean?
Bright pledge — the Germanic gisil, a hostage given as security, joined to beraht, bright.
Why does the name mean hostage?
Hostages were exchanged as security for treaties and were often noble children raised at another court — a position of standing, not captivity.
What were the Gilbertines?
The only monastic order founded in England, established by Saint Gilbert of Sempringham in the twelfth century.
How popular is Gilbert?
1331st in the United States, and our data marks it stable.
Is Gilbert a girl's or a boy's name?
Gilbert is given almost entirely to boys in birth records.
How many syllables are in Gilbert?
Gilbert has 2 syllables.
What are the nicknames for Gilbert?
Gilbert is usually shortened to Gil and Bert.
Is Gilbert a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Gilbert currently ranks #1,331 in France. Its usage has held steady over the past decade. Everything else — how it sounds with your surname, who it reminds you of — is yours.