 Stained glass of Gilbert de Moravia | |
| Pronunciation | /ˈɡɪlbɜːrt/ French: [ʒil.bɛʁ] |
|---|---|
| Gender | Male |
| Origin | |
| Word/name | Norman-French |
| Meaning | gisel + beraht |
| Other names | |
| Related names | Gilberto, Gil |
Gilbert is a given name of Norman-French origin,[1] itself from Germanic Gisilberht or Gisalberht.[2][3] Original spellings included Gislebert, Guilbert and Gilebert. The first element, Gil-, comes from Germanic gīsil, meaning "shaft of an arrow" or gisal "pledge, hostage", while the second element, -bert comes from Germanic -behrt, short form of beraht, meaning "bright" or "famous".[4][5] The name spread in France and was introduced to England by the Normans, where it was popular during the Middle Ages. That is the reason the pronunciation Gil- [gil] reflects the Northern Norman one [gil], as opposed to Old French [dʒil] > French [ʒil] and explains the alternative spelling Guilbert with Guil- [gil].
Variant spellings have evolved throughout Europe, including the Iberian/Italian version Gilberto and, as was the custom across Europe, given a Latin language version Gilbertus, to be used alongside a person's native variant. The diminutive, Gil Gillie and Bert eventually became popular as a standalone given name or nickname. Gilbert, with variant spellings, is also used as a surname (see Gilbert (surname)).
