Gilbertson

Etymology

Gilbertson is a patronymic surname built from the personal name Gilbert plus the English suffix -son, meaning “son of.” Gilbert itself comes from an old Germanic name made from elements meaning “pledge” or “bright” and “famous,” though the exact early sense is not always explained in the same way by older writers. The surname therefore originally identified someone as the son or descendant of a man named Gilbert.

History

The name appears in historical records chiefly as a straightforward English patronymic, and the excerpts also show it being grouped with related forms such as Gibson, Gibbs, and Gibbons as part of the same name-family. It is found in Britain and later in North America, with some bearers in Scotland and Ireland where the underlying forename Gilbert was also established. In some sources, notable medieval bearers are recorded under the surname in Scotland, showing early use as a hereditary family name.

Origin

Regions

Variant spellings

Fun fact

Older surname guides often link Gilbertson to a whole cluster of related surnames built from the same given name, including Gibbs, Gibbon, and Gibson.

Related surnames