Lambert
A common surname from an old Germanic personal name meaning “bright land” or “bright fame,” also sometimes tied to Norman place-names.
The #329 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 3,296 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Lambert comes from an old Germanic personal name made from elements meaning “land” or “territory” and “bright” or “famous.” In medieval England it was adopted as a baptismal name and then passed into surname use. Some writers also connected certain bearers with Norman places called Lambert-sur-Dive or Lambert-sur-Orne, but the personal-name origin is generally treated as the likelier source.
History
The name was well established in medieval England and France, which helped it spread widely as a surname. Historical surname writers note related forms such as Lampkin, Lampson, Lambin, and Lambyn, reflecting medieval diminutives of the same given name. In Ireland, some families with the name are also recorded with a local Norman background.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
19th-century surname scholars noted that Lambert was such a popular given name that it spawned several affectionate diminutives, including Lamb and Lambkin.
From the historical record
“founded with Lambert. LAMBERT. 1. From the A-Sax. per- sonal name. 2. From Lambert-sur-Dive, or Lambert-sur-Orne in Normandy. The foi'mer is the more i^robable, as we have other family names apparently derived from it, as Lampson, Lampkin, &c. Some of the Lamberts of L'eland seem, however, to have used the local…”
— Patronymica Britannica: a dictionary of the family names of the United Kingdom