boy's name
Norbert
NOR-bert
- Origin German
- Gender Boy
- Syllables 2
- Letters 7
- Popularity Uncommon
- Births on record 47,560
Scotland
#602
2011 births
Norbert means bright north, and the north in it is the direction rather than a place — Germanic naming used compass points as elements, which is rare in any other European naming tradition. Almost all of its volume is French.
- Norbert is a name of German origin.
- Peaked in France in 1949, when 650 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.
Norbert over time
Births per decade in France, 1900s to 2010s. The striped bar is the 2010s, still in progress — it covers 2010 to 2016, not a full ten years.
Show the numbers
| Decade | Births |
|---|---|
| 1900s | 1,425 |
| 1910s | 1,785 |
| 1920s | 3,860 |
| 1930s | 3,995 |
| 1940s | 4,440 |
| 1950s | 5,280 |
| 1960s | 3,800 |
| 1970s | 1,505 |
| 1980s | 515 |
| 1990s | 155 |
| 2000s | 45 |
| 2010s (to 2016) | 15 |
What Norbert means
Norbert means northern brightness, or bright north. The Germanic joins a compass direction to a word meaning bright or famous, which is an unusual pairing.
Where Norbert comes from
Norbert is the Germanic Nordberht — nord, north, joined to beraht, bright or famous, the element behind Albert, Robert and Gilbert. Using a compass direction as a name element is close to unique to Germanic naming. Saint Norbert of Xanten founded the Premonstratensian order in 1120 and became archbishop of Magdeburg, which carried the name across central Europe and into France, where our data shows almost all of its volume.
Norbert in use
Norbert peaked in France in 1949, when 650 babies were registered, and our data marks it stable rather than falling. It charts in exactly one of the six markets we track, at 4064th in England and Wales on 5 births, across 47,560 lifetime births. The American series peaks separately in 1924 on 635 births, a quarter of a century before the French one.
How popular is Norbert?
In 2016, Norbert was given to 5 babies in France. It is used consistently but remains uncommon.
Where Norbert 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 Norbert
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents who like Norbert also like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Norbert over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
Norbert 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 Norbert
Names from the same era that won't rhyme or share an initial with Norbert — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common questions about Norbert
What does the name Norbert mean?
Bright north — nord joined to beraht, bright.
Is a compass direction unusual in a name?
Very. It is close to unique to Germanic naming.
Who was Saint Norbert?
The founder of the Premonstratensian order in 1120 and archbishop of Magdeburg.
Is Albert related?
Through beraht, yes — as are Robert and Gilbert.
How popular is the name Norbert?
In 2016, Norbert was given to 5 babies in France. It is used consistently but remains uncommon.
Is Norbert a girl's or a boy's name?
Norbert is given almost entirely to boys in birth records.
How many syllables are in Norbert?
Norbert has 2 syllables.
When was Norbert most popular?
Norbert peaked in 1949, when 650 babies were given the name. Its usage has held steady over the past decade.
Is Norbert a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Norbert currently ranks #2,448 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.