Gibb
A short form of Gilbert, meaning “bright pledge” in origin.
The #9,293 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 88,163 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Gibb is a diminutive form of the Norman personal name Gilbert, ultimately from Old German elements usually explained as meaning “bright pledge” or “shining pledge.” It began as a familiar pet form of a given name and later became a hereditary surname. Related forms include Gib, Gibbe, Gibbes, and Gibbs.
History
English and Scottish records show Gibb and its variants early on, especially in Britain. Lower specifically treats Gibb, Gibbe, Gibbes, and Gibbs as diminutives of Gilbert and notes some gentry families of the name in southern England and Ireland. The name also appears in Irish surname sources, though in some cases it may reflect separate local surname development or later adoption.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
19th-century surname writers sometimes explained Gibbings as a later expanded form from the same Gilbert-based nickname, with an added excrescent final -g.
From the historical record
“GERVIS. See Gervais, Jervis, &c. GEST. An old spelling of Guest. GIBB. GIBBE. GIBBES. GIBBS. Diminutives of the Norman personal name Gislebertus, or Gilbert. According to B.L.G. several of the gentry families of this name, viz., those of Belmont, co. Somerset; Al- deuham, co. Herts ; Tyntesfiekl, co. Somer- set …”
— Patronymica Britannica: a dictionary of the family names of the United KingdomNotable people named Gibb
- Robin Gibb (1949–2012)
- Barry Gibb (b. 1946)
- Maurice Gibb (1949–2003)
Sourced from Wikidata; linked to their Wikipedia page.