Show ContentsHiebert History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Etymology of Hiebert

What does the name Hiebert mean?

The Norman Conquest of England of 1066 added many new elements to the already vibrant culture. Among these were thousands of new names. The Hiebert name is derived from the Norman personal name Hildebert, which is composed of the Germanic elements hild, which meant battle or strife, and berht, which meant bright or famous. One of the first records of the name was Hygbert, the Anglo-Saxon bishop of Lichfield. 1

Early Origins of the Hiebert family

The surname Hiebert was first found in Cheshire where the Hibberts of Marple and Boirtles claim descent from Paganus Hubert, who accompanied King Richard I of England (Richard the Lionheart) in the Crusade of 1190. 1

The Hibberts of Marples and Birtles in Cheshire claim descent from Hubert of Curzon in Calvados, a Norman noble who was granted land in Cheshire and Nottingham.

Early History of the Hiebert family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Hiebert research. Another 147 words (10 lines of text) covering the years 1190, 1600, 1618, 1622, 1629, 1642, 1678, 1757, 1770, 1775, 1783, 1837 and 1849 are included under the topic Early Hiebert History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Hiebert Spelling Variations

Anglo-Norman names are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. When the Normans became the ruling people of England in the 11th century, they introduced a new language into a society where the main languages of Old and later Middle English had no definite spelling rules. These languages were more often spoken than written, so they blended freely with one another. Contributing to this mixing of tongues was the fact that medieval scribes spelled words according to sound, ensuring that a person's name would appear differently in nearly every document in which it was recorded. The name has been spelled Hibbert, Hibart, Hibbard, Hibbart, Hibbet, Hibbets, Hibbett, Hibbotts, Hubert, Hubbert, Hubbard and many more.

Early Notables of the Hiebert family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was Sir Francis Hubert (d. 1629), English poet, probably son of Edward Hubert, one of the six clerks in chancery. 2Henry Hibbert (1600?-1678), English divine, born in Cheshire about 1600. In 1618 he...
Another 40 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Hiebert Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Hiebert Ranking

In the United States, the name Hiebert is the 10,350th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 3 However, in Canada, the name Hiebert is ranked the 791st most popular surname with an estimated 6,788 people with that name. 4

Migration of the Hiebert family to Ireland

Some of the Hiebert family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 49 words (4 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


Hiebert migration to the United States +

For many English families, the political and religious disarray that plagued their homeland made the frontiers of the New World an attractive prospect. Thousands migrated, aboard cramped disease-ridden ships. They arrived sick, poor, and hungry, but were welcomed in many cases with far greater opportunity than at home in England. Many of these hardy settlers went on to make important contributions to the emerging nations in which they landed. Among early immigrants bearing the name Hiebert or a variant listed above were:

Hiebert Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Katharina Hiebert, aged 5, who landed in Nebraska in 1874 5
  • Peter Hiebert, aged 22, who landed in New York, NY in 1874 5
  • Pierre Hiebert, aged 2, who landed in New York, NY in 1876 5
  • Maria Hiebert, aged 28, who arrived in New York, NY in 1876 5
  • John Hiebert, aged 3, who arrived in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1876 5
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Hiebert migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Hiebert Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century
  • David Hiebert, who arrived in Manitoba in 1874
  • Abraham Hiebert, who arrived in Manitoba in 1874
  • Johan Hiebert, who landed in Manitoba in 1874
  • Cornelius Hiebert, who arrived in Manitoba in 1875
  • Dietrich Hiebert, who arrived in Manitoba in 1875
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Hiebert (post 1700) +

  • Paul Gordon Hiebert (1932-2007), American missiologist, Principal of the Mennonite Brethren Centenary Bible College, Shamshabad, India (1958-1966)
  • A. G. "Augie" Hiebert (1916-2007), American television executive in Alaska
  • Alois "Al" Paul Hiebert (1938-2000), Canadian politician, member of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta from 1979 to 1986
  • Russell "Russ" Hiebert (b. 1969), Canadian politician, Member of the Canadian Parliament for South Surrey-White Rock-Cloverdale (2004-2015)
  • Cornelius "Don" Hiebert (b. 1862), Canadian politician, Member of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta for Rosebud (1905-1909)
  • Paul Hiebert (1892-1987), Canadian writer and humorist, best known for his book Sarah Binks, which was awarded the Stephen Leacock Medal for Humour (1948)

Flight 191
  • Katherine Hiebert (d. 1979), American from Los Angeles, California, USA, aged 39, who worked aboard American Airlines Flight 191 and died in the crash 6
USS Indianapolis
  • Lloyd Henry Hiebert, American crew member on board the ship "USS Indianapolis" when she was on a top secret trip for the first nuclear weapon, she was sunk by Japanese Navy on 30th July 1945, he was one of the many who were killed in the sinking due to exposure, dehydration, saltwater poisoning and shark attacks 7


The Hiebert 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: Fidem rectumque colendo
Motto Translation: By cultivating fidelity and rectitude.


  1. Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
  2. Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
  3. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  4. "Surnames Meanings, Origins & Distribution Maps - Forebears." Forebears, https://forebears.io/surnames
  5. Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
  6. Flight 191's Victims - latimes. (Retrieved 2014, April 16) . Retrieved from http://articles.latimes.com/1985-08-04/news/mn-4349_1_fort-lauderdale-area
  7. Final Crew List, retrieved 2021, October 30th Retrieved from https://www.ussindianapolis.com/final-crew


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