Nameling

Gilbert

Gender
Boy
Say it
GIL-bert
Origin
Germanic
UK rank, 2025
#2,087 for boys
US rank, 2025
#1,328 for boys

Gilbert is a boys' name of Germanic origin, meaning “bright pledge”. In 2025 it ranked 2,087th for boys in the UK (12 babies) and 1,328th for boys in the US (145 babies).

What does Gilbert mean?

Germanic: Germanic, via Norman French

“bright pledge”

Norman name; St Gilbert of Sempringham founded the Gilbertines, the only medieval religious order of English origin.

More on Wiktionary.

Is Gilbert a girl's or a boy's name?

Gilbert is a boys' name. In 2025, it was given to 12 boys in the UK and 145 boys in the US. Too few girls were given it to be listed.

How popular is Gilbert in the UK?

Rank in 2025
#2,087among boys
Babies in 2025
12about 1 in 25,000 boys
Five-year trend
Steadydown 22% in five years
Same name in a class
under 1%chance among 15 boys

In 2025, 12 boys in the UK were named Gilbert, making it the 2,087th most popular name for boys. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 1,512th. Its busiest year was 2013, with 41 boys.

2025 had fewer boys named Gilbert than any year since 2003.

Half of all the boys named Gilbert in the UK since 1996 were born between 2008 and 2017. It was already well used in 1996, when the records begin, so earlier boys aren't counted.

Among boys in 2025, it was 2,011th in England and Wales.

In the England and Wales top 100 for boys, which the ONS has published every ten years since 1904: 1904 (#64), 1914 (#72) and 1924 (#95).

1996Busiest: 41 in 20132025
Gilbert in the UK, year by year
YearBoysRank
202512#2,087
202418#1,528
202317#1,571
202221#1,364
202122#1,298
202017#1,512
201921#1,302
201822#1,280
201729#1,092
201637#923
201529#1,064
201430#1,031
201341#831
201229#1,051
201134#929
201022#1,245
200923#1,180
200834#885
200727#991
200626#986
200520#1,133
200415#1,301
20037#2,054
20025#2,358
200112#1,283
20009#1,503
19997#1,749
19984#2,531
19976#1,853
199612#1,146

How popular is Gilbert in the US?

Rank in 2025
#1,328among boys
Babies in 2025
145about 1 in 12,000 boys
Five-year trend
Steadydown 10% in five years
Same name in a class
under 1%chance among 15 boys

In 2025, 145 boys in the US were named Gilbert, making it the 1,328th most popular name for boys. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 1,172nd. Its busiest year was 1930, with 2,119 boys.

Half of all the boys named Gilbert in the US since 1880 were born between 1929 and 1966, the years shaded on the chart below.

1880Busiest: 2,119 in 19302025
Gilbert in the US, year by year
YearBoysRank
2025145#1,328
2024135#1,387
2023175#1,172
2022162#1,217
2021159#1,215
2020164#1,172
2019175#1,118
2018166#1,154
2017196#1,025
2016215#958
2015211#977
2014241#893
2013234#889
2012201#989
2011242#869
2010258#829
2009278#801
2008316#731
2007347#684
2006347#661
2005378#599
2004409#560
2003361#597
2002351#593
2001408#536
2000419#527
1999419#508
1998420#507
1997448#481
1996467#467
1995502#453
1994505#446
1993639#371
1992611#379
1991684#354
1990725#341
1989677#340
1988710#313
1987738#290
1986781#273
1985687#296
1984776#268
1983757#273
1982793#269
1981824#261
1980832#262
1979778#267
1978797#254
1977787#256
1976826#243
1975879#235
1974886#234
1973918#228
1972961#224
19711,063#222
19701,170#214
19691,107#216
19681,167#199
19671,267#191
19661,269#193
19651,347#189
19641,515#183
19631,631#179
19621,625#184
19611,710#178
19601,788#175
19591,747#177
19581,814#169
19571,959#163
19561,957#159
19551,862#154
19541,955#148
19531,913#148
19521,847#151
19511,917#142
19501,881#144
19491,810#147
19481,868#145
19471,877#146
19461,750#138
19451,625#130
19441,649#127
19431,816#123
19421,723#128
19411,704#117
19401,531#124
19391,553#115
19381,596#116
19371,685#112
19361,664#113
19351,683#111
19341,775#106
19331,704#104
19321,974#97
19311,993#92
19302,119#90
19292,056#91
19282,048#96
19271,976#99
19261,781#101
19251,656#105
19241,797#100
19231,704#102
19221,748#100
19211,704#103
19201,763#97
19191,592#102
19181,576#105
19171,510#105
19161,441#106
19151,452#100
19141,060#104
1913868#103
1912649#115
1911369#103
1910274#116
1909239#116
1908223#115
1907212#112
1906199#107
1905183#117
1904188#112
1903138#135
1902166#115
1901129#131
1900145#146
1899107#145
1898143#126
1897121#134
1896129#131
1895132#128
1894139#116
1893122#124
1892120#133
189186#152
1890116#124
1889105#137
1888109#141
1887102#127
188691#154
188577#172
1884100#140
188392#133
188288#157
188192#132
1880101#134

Nicknames for Gilbert

Names like Gilbert

Names given in the same years and the same naming tradition, with a similar sound.

Albert Frederick Robert Rupert Ernest Henry Freddie Harry Arthur William Stanley Wilfred

Names related to Gilbert

Gilberto

More Germanic names

Amelia Liam Charlotte Archie Charlie Emma Ella Millie Albie Matilda Louie Miles Alice Myles Charles Lottie

Every Germanic name

Sources

Figures from Baby names in England and Wales (Office for National Statistics), Babies' first names (National Records of Scotland), Baby names (Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency) and Popular Baby Names (US Social Security Administration). Nameling last updated them on 20 October 2026. How the figures are worked out, and the data to download.

To cite this page: Nameling, “Gilbert: name meaning, origin and popularity”, https://www.nameling.co.uk/names/gilbert, updated 20 October 2026.