Gilbert
GIL-bert
A classic Germanic name usually taken to mean “bright pledge” or “shining oath.”
Meaning
The name Gilbert is generally traced to a Germanic form, often given as Giselbert or related medieval forms. In the 19th-century sources provided, it is glossed as “bright pledge” and also explained as “bright as gold”; one excerpt also notes a connection with older Germanic elements behind forms like Childebert. The name spread into English through Norman and French usage.
Origin
Old GermanNorman FrenchLatinmasculine
Fun fact
The nickname form “Gib” is noted in the source excerpts, and several medieval spellings appear, including Gilberto and Giselbert.