Gilberte History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

The notable Gilberte family arose among the Cornish People, a race with a rich Celtic heritage and an indomitable fighting spirit who inhabited the southwest of England. While surnames were well-known during the English medieval period, Cornish People originally used only a single name. The way in which hereditary surnames came into common use is interesting. As the population of medieval Europe multiplied, people began to assume an extra name to avoid confusion and to further identify themselves. Under the Feudal System of government, surnames evolved and they often reflected life on the manor and in the field. Patronymic surnames were derived from given names and were the predominant type of surname among the Celtic peoples of Britain. However, the people of Cornwall provide a surprising exception to this rule, and patronymic surnames are less common among them than other people of Celtic stock, such as their Welsh neighbors. This is due to the greater influence of English bureaucracy and naming practices in Cornwall at the time that surnames first arose. This type of surname blended perfectly with the prevailing Feudal System. One feature that is occasionally found in Cornish surnames of this type is the suffix -oe or -ow; this is derived from the Cornish plural suffix -ow. is a patronymic surname that came from the ancient Germanic personal name Gisilbert, meaning bright hostage or bright pledge. 1 2 3

Early Origins of the Gilberte family

The surname Gilberte was first found in Devon where they were well established shortly after the Conquest with Gilbert of Sempringham (c. 1083-1190,) son of a wealthy Norman knight, a theologian, who became the first Englishman to found a convent; he was canonized in 1202. He was founder of the order that bears his name. 4

The Domesday Book of 1086 includes an entry for the family in Wiltshire: Gislebertus, the early Latin form of the name. 5

"Near Dartmouth is Greenway, the seat of the famous Gilberts. The family was settled here in the reign of Edward II. ; and here were born their father being Otho Gilbert and their mother Katherine Champernowne Humphry and Adrian Gilbert, the famous half-brothers of the still more famous Sir Walter Ralegh." 6

Gilbertus presbiter was listed in Lincolnshire c. 1150. Later, Willelmus Gilberti was found in the Curia Regis Rolls for Wiltshire in 1202 and later again, Robert Gylwbert was found in Norfolk in 1235. Robert Gilberd was listed in Cambridgeshire in 1240 as was William Gilbert in 1290. The Feet of Fines for Suffolk listed John Gilbard in Suffolk in 1204. 7 "The frequency of Gilberd suggests that this, with Gil(f)bard, may at times belong to Goldbard, though Gilbeard certainly occurs for Gilbert." 7

Gilbert the Universal (d. 1134?), was Bishop of London, "is described as 'natione Britannus' by Richard of Poitiers, who probably means a Breton rather than a Welshman." 8

Gilbert of Louth (d. 1153?), Abbot of Basingwerk, was sent by Gervase, founder and first abbot of Louth in Lincolnshire, about 1140 to an Irish king " in order to obtain a grant to build a monastery in Ireland. The grant was made, and on Gilbert complaining that he did not understand the language, the king gave him as an interpreter the knight Owen, who, according to the legend, had descended into purgatory." 8

"The Gilbertines were an English order with numerous convents at the time of the suppression." 9

The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 listed the following: Isolda filius Gilberti; Robert Gilbertus; and Eustace filius Gilebert, while the Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379 listed: Nicholas Gilberdson; and Johannes Gilberd. 9

"This name has its principal home in the midland counties of Leicester and Rutland, Northampton, Warwick, and Worcester. It is for the most part a name of the midlands, being absent in the north beyond Staffordshire and Lincolnshire. It has, however, a secondary and independent home in Cornwall and Devon." 10

Early History of the Gilberte family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Gilberte research. Another 76 words (5 lines of text) covering the years 1537, 1544, 1583, 1603, 1613, 1694 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Gilberte History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Gilberte Spelling Variations

Cornish surnames are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. The frequent changes in surnames are due to the fact that the Old and Middle English languages lacked definite spelling rules. The official court languages, which were Latin and French, were also influential on the spelling of a surname. Since the spelling of surnames was rarely consistent in medieval times, and scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded rather than adhering to any specific spelling rules, it was common to find the same individual referred to with different spellings of their surname in the ancient chronicles. Moreover, a large number of foreign names were brought into England, which accelerated and accentuated the alterations to the spelling of various surnames. Lastly, spelling variations often resulted from the linguistic differences between the people of Cornwall and the rest of England. The Cornish spoke a unique Brythonic Celtic language which was first recorded in written documents during the 10th century. However, they became increasingly Anglicized, and Cornish became extinct as a spoken language in 1777, although it has been revived by Cornish patriots in the modern era. The name has been spelled Gilbert, Gilbart, Gilberd and others.

Early Notables of the Gilberte family

Notable amongst the family at this time was Sir Robert Gilbert of Somerson; Sir Humphrey Gilbert (c.1537-1583), English soldier and politician, known as the first English colonizer, even though his...
Another 30 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Gilberte Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Gilberte family to Ireland

Some of the Gilberte family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 57 words (4 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Gilberte family

Investigation of immigration and passenger lists has revealed a number of people bearing the name Gilberte: Thomas Gilbert who came to Barbados in 1635; Francis Gilbert settled in Virginia in 1736; Richard Gilbert settled in Virginia in 1637; Robert Gilbert settled in Barbados in 1678.

The Gilberte Motto +

The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.

Motto: Teg yw heddwch
Motto Translation: Peace is pleasing.

Citations +

Harrison, Henry, Surnames of the United Kingdom: A Concise Etymological Dictionary Baltimore: Geneological Publishing Company, 2013. Print
Sims, Clifford Stanley The Origin and Signification of Scottish Surnames. 1862. Print.
Arthur, William , An Etymological Dictionary of Family and Christian Names. London: 1857. Print
The Norman People and Their Existing Descendants in the British Dominions and the United States Of America. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing, 1975. Print. (ISBN 0-8063-0636-X)
Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
Worth, R.N., A History of Devonshire London: Elliot Stock, 62, Paternoster Row, E.G., 1895. Digital
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
Guppy, Henry Brougham, Homes of Family Names in Great Britain. 1890. Print.