Boy name · Germanic
Gilbert
Name meaning, origin and popularity
: bright pledgeGilbert is a boy's name that comes from Germanic and means "bright pledge". It is used in English and French.
- Meaning
- Bright pledge
- Origin
- Germanic
- Gender
- Boy
- US rank
- #1330 in 2025
Meaning and origin of Gilbert
As a boy's name, Gilbert comes from Germanic and means "bright pledge". It is used in English and French.
In French, say zheel-BAIR. Respellings are a guide; accents vary by region.
Gilbert is also a surname: the 284th most common in the 2020 US Census, held by 108,832 people. See the most common last names.
Its meaning puts Gilbert on our names that mean light list.
Meanings come from published name dictionaries, led by Behind the Name. How we research names
Gilbert on Nomezo lists
What our editors wrote about Gilbert on 8 lists.
“Bright pledge; Germanic. Peaked in France in 1947. Say zheel-BAIR”
From French boy names, retro French male names from the 1950s to the 1970s
“Friendly and a little bit goofy”
From Funny names for turkeys, boy turkey names (for toms)
“Bright pledge; Germanic. Favored by Norman lords such as the de Clares”
From Medieval names and surnames, medieval male names from England and France
“Bright pledge; Germanic, via Norman French”
From Names that mean light, germanic names with bert, meaning bright
“Bright pledge; Germanic. Gil for short”
From Old man names, old boy names from the 1900s to 1920s
“Germanic for bright pledge”
From Orange cat names, orange cat names for boys
“Gill pun hidden in a distinguished old name”
From Axolotl names, unique axolotl names
“Bright pledge; Germanic, brought to England by the Normans”
From Unique boy names, unique vintage boy names
How popular is Gilbert?
- US rank in 2025
- #1,330
- 145 babies, 85 per million boys
- Best rank
- #90 in 1930
- 2,119 babies that year
- Babies since 1880
- At least 130,148
- Years with under 5 are not listed
| 1880s | 874 per million |
|---|---|
| 1890s | 1,065 per million |
| 1900s | 1,342 per million |
| 1910s | 1,617 per million |
| 1920s | 1,655 per million |
| 1930s | 1,679 per million |
| 1940s | 1,166 per million |
| 1950s | 932 per million |
| 1960s | 749 per million |
| 1970s | 549 per million |
| 1980s | 410 per million |
| 1990s | 278 per million |
| 2000s | 181 per million |
| 2010s | 114 per million |
| 2020s | 91 per million |
| Year | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #958 | #1,026 | #1,154 | #1,121 | #1,175 | #1,216 | #1,218 | #1,174 | #1,389 | #1,330 |
Source: US Social Security Administration baby-name data, 1880 to 2025, as published in 2026. Each spelling is counted separately, a name given to fewer than 5 babies of one sex in a year is left out, and few people born before 1937 have records, which is why the chart shows babies per million rather than raw counts.
Other forms of Gilbert
The same name in other languages and spellings, with the same meaning and origin.
- GijsBright pledge (Germanic, boy)
- GilbertoBright pledge (Germanic, boy)
Names with a similar meaning
- RobertBright fame (Germanic, boy)
- ClaraClear, bright (Latin, girl)
- BertaBright, famous (Germanic, girl)
- LambertBright land (Germanic, boy)
- MurielBright sea (Scottish Gaelic, girl)
- RobertaBright fame (Germanic, girl)
- AlbertNoble and bright (Germanic, boy)
- AlbertoNoble and bright (Germanic, boy)
- HubertBright heart (Germanic, boy)
- RobertoBright fame (Germanic, boy)
Middle names for Gilbert
Picked from our middle-name lists with a different first letter and a shorter length, so the full name flows.
More boy names from Germanic
- HugoHeart, mind (Germanic, boy)
- LiamShort for William, will helmet (Germanic, boy)
- LeonardoBrave lion (Germanic, boy)
- AlaricRuler of all (Germanic, boy)
- ArmandoArmy man (Germanic, boy)
- ArnoEagle (Germanic, boy)
- ArnoldEagle power (Germanic, boy)
- BaldwinBold friend (Germanic, boy)
- BernardBrave bear (Germanic, boy)
- BernardoBrave bear (Germanic, boy)
Gilbert: common questions
What does the name Gilbert mean?
Gilbert comes from Germanic and means "bright pledge".
Is Gilbert a boy or girl name?
Gilbert is mainly a boy's name.
Where does the name Gilbert come from?
Gilbert comes from Germanic and means "bright pledge". Today it is used in English and French.
How popular is the name Gilbert?
Gilbert ranked #1,330 in the US in 2025, with 145 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.
What are other forms of Gilbert?
Forms of Gilbert with the same meaning and origin include Gijs (Dutch) and Gilberto (Spanish).
What middle names go with Gilbert?
Middle names that flow well with Gilbert include Abel, Chase, Ethan, Hugh and Lee. A different first letter and a contrasting length usually sound best.