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Gilbert Family History

Gilbert Surname Meaning

English (of Norman origin) French and German: from the personal name Giselbert composed of the ancient Germanic elements gīsil ‘pledge, hostage, noble youth’ (see Giesel) + berht ‘bright, famous’.

This personal name enjoyed considerable popularity in England during the Middle Ages partly as a result of the fame of Saint Gilbert of Sempringham (1085–1189), the founder of the only native English monastic order.

Americanized form of one or more similar (like-sounding) Jewish surnames.

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names 2nd edition, 2022


Similar surnames: 

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Where is the Gilbert family from?

You can see how Gilbert families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Gilbert family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Gilbert families were found in USA in 1880. In 1840 there were 439 Gilbert families living in New York. This was about 23% of all the recorded Gilbert's in USA. New York had the highest population of Gilbert families in 1840.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Gilbert surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.
  • 1840
  • 1880
  • 1920
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What did your Gilbert ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Laborer and Housewife were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Gilbert. 14% of Gilbert men worked as a Laborer and 7% of Gilbert women worked as a Housewife. Some less common occupations for Americans named Gilbert were Truck Driver and Teacher.

View Census Data for Gilbert | Data not to scale

*We display top occupations by gender to maintain their historical accuracy during times when men and women often performed different jobs.

Top Male Occupations In 1940

  • Laborer
    14%
  • Farmer
    14%
  • Salesman
    5%
  • Truck Driver
    3%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

  • Housewife
    7%
  • Housekeeper
    6%
  • Maid
    6%
  • Teacher
    6%

What Gilbert family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 931,000 census records available for the last name Gilbert. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Gilbert census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search US census records for Gilbert

Passenger Lists

There are 89,000 immigration records available for the last name Gilbert. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in the USA, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

View all Gilbert immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 143,000 military records available for the last name Gilbert. For the veterans among your Gilbert ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Gilbert military records

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