How common is the surname Gilbert?

114,940 people in the United States had the surname Gilbert in the 2010 Census, about 1 in every 2,686 Americans. It ranked 268th of 162,253 surnames.

Who is the most famous person named Gilbert?

Walter Gilbert, American biochemist, followed by Elizabeth Gilbert.

Where is the surname Gilbert most common?

Wikidata records people named Gilbert in the United States, the United Kingdom and Belgium and 1 other country.

How do you pronounce Gilbert?

Gilbert is /ˈɡɪlbɚt/, 2 syllables.

Is the surname Gilbert getting more or less common?

More common. 112,406 people carried it in the 2000 Census and 114,940 in 2010, up 2.3%.

Is Gilbert also a first name?

Yes. Gilbert is used as a first name as well as a surname; its first-name page has the meaning and how many babies were given it.

The surname Gilbert

A surname, carried by 114,940 people in the United States.

Pronounced /ˈɡɪlbɚt/ 2 syllables Soundex G416 Also a first name

Every surname held by 100 or more people in the 2010 US Census, most common on the left (162,253 in all). Gilbert is more common than 99.8% of them.

Origin

From Old French Gislebert, from Proto-Germanic *Gīslaberhtaz, from *gīslaz (“pledge”) + *berhtaz (“bright, famous”).

Origin from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0).

How common it is

2010 US Census

There were 114,940 people named Gilbert in the United States in 2010, about 1 in every 2,686 Americans. That is up 2.3% since 2000, when the Census counted 112,406.

#268

rank among US surnames

114,940

people in 2010

per 100,000 Americans

+2.3%

change since 2000 (was #243)

Rank	Surname	People	1 in
#259	Lynch	117,708	2,623
#260	Singh	116,749	2,645
#261	Vega	116,673	2,646
#262	Bishop	116,618	2,647
#263	Montgomery	115,953	2,663
#264	Oliver	115,900	2,664
#265	Jensen	115,679	2,669

Who is named Gilbert

Race and Hispanic origin as people reported it in the 2010 Census

78% of people named Gilbert identified as white (not Hispanic), 16% as Black (not Hispanic) and 3.0% as Hispanic or Latino (any race).

White (not Hispanic) 78%
Black (not Hispanic) 16%
Hispanic or Latino (any race) 3.0%
Two or more races 2.0%
American Indian and Alaska Native 0.7%
Asian and Pacific Islander 0.6%

Compare: most common surnames among white Americans.

Famous Gilberts

41 notable people on Wikidata, most written-about first

Walter Gilbert
American biochemist, born 1932
Elizabeth Gilbert
American writer, born 1969
Philippe Gilbert
Belgian cyclist, born 1982
Sara Gilbert
American actress, born 1975
Melissa Gilbert
American actress, born 1964
John Gilbert
American actor and film director (1899–1936)
Paul Gilbert
American guitarist, born 1966
Brad Gilbert
American tennis player and coach, born 1961
Grove Karl Gilbert
American geologist (1843–1918)
Ron Gilbert
American video game designer, born 1964
Cass Gilbert
American architect (1859-1934)
Alfred Carlton Gilbert
American athlete, inventor, and businessman (1884-1961)

Notable Gilberts come mostly from the United States (36), the United Kingdom (3) and Belgium (1).

Spellings and sound-alikes

Useful when a record has your ancestor under another spelling

Surnames that sound like Gilbert

Gilbert has the Soundex code G416, the code US census indexes have used since the 1930s. Every surname with code G416.

Questions

Where does the surname Gilbert come from?: From Old French Gislebert, from Proto-Germanic *Gīslaberhtaz, from *gīslaz (“pledge”) + *berhtaz (“bright, famous”).
How common is the surname Gilbert?: 114,940 people in the United States had the surname Gilbert in the 2010 Census, about 1 in every 2,686 Americans. It ranked 268th of 162,253 surnames.
What ethnicity is the surname Gilbert?: In the 2010 Census, 78% of people named Gilbert identified as white (not Hispanic), and 16% as Black (not Hispanic).
Who is the most famous person named Gilbert?: Walter Gilbert, American biochemist, followed by Elizabeth Gilbert.
Where is the surname Gilbert most common?: Wikidata records people named Gilbert in the United States, the United Kingdom and Belgium and 1 other country.
How do you pronounce Gilbert?: Gilbert is /ˈɡɪlbɚt/, 2 syllables.
Is the surname Gilbert getting more or less common?: More common. 112,406 people carried it in the 2000 Census and 114,940 in 2010, up 2.3%.
Is Gilbert also a first name?: Yes. Gilbert is used as a first name as well as a surname; its first-name page has the meaning and how many babies were given it.