Show ContentsHolbert History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Holbert is one of the names that was brought to England in the wave of migration following the Norman Conquest of 1066. The Holbert family name comes from the Old English given name Holbert. Holbert is thought to be a corruption of the Old English personal name Holdbearht, which is composed of the elements hold, which means friendly, and berht, which means bright. 1

The variant Holberton is by extension derived from "holbert" + "tun" and claims Holberton, (Holbeton) Devon as its founding. This parish dates back to 1229 when it was known as Holbouton and literally meant "farmstead in the hollow bend." 2

Early Origins of the Holbert family

The surname Holbert was first found in Wiltshire where they held a family seat as Lords of the Manor. This distinguished family held estates at Corsham and Wooten Basset in Wiltshire. At the time of the taking of the Domesday Book in 1086, a census initiated by Duke William of Normandy after his conquest of England in 1066, these lands were held by Miles Crispin, a powerful tenant-in-chief. Conjecturally, the Hulberts were descended from a Norman noble who held his lands from Miles Crispin. Corsham was the King's Land, but St. Stephen of Caen held the Church.

Early feudal rolls provided the king of the time a method of cataloguing holdings for taxation, but today they provide a glimpse into the wide surname spellings in use at that time. By example, the Latin form, Holbertus, was listed in the Archaelogia Cantiana in 1168. William and John Holdebert were both listed in Warwickshire in the Pipe Rolls of 1205 and in the Assize Rolls of 1219 in Yorkshire. 3

"The Hulberts of Malmesbury may be able to trace their pedigree back to Thomas Hulbert, the pious clothier of Corsham, who, as we learn from a brass in Corsham Church, 'Christianly finished his course with powerfull prayer to God upon Tuesday, being the 16 October, 1632.'" 4

Early History of the Holbert family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Holbert research. Another 76 words (5 lines of text) covering the years 1530, 1660, 1680, 1778, 1803, 1804, 1805, 1834, 1837, 1839, 1857, 1867 and 1888 are included under the topic Early Holbert History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Holbert Spelling Variations

Spelling variations in names were a common occurrence in the eras before English spelling was standardized a few hundred years ago. In the Middle Ages, even the literate regularly changed the spellings of their names as the English language incorporated elements of French, Latin, and other European languages. Many variations of the name Holbert have been found, including Hulbert, Hulbirt, Hulbat, Hulbart, Houlbert, Houlbart, Hullbert and many more.

Early Notables of the Holbert family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was Charles Hulbert (1778-1857), English miscellaneous writer, son of Thomas Hulbert of Hulbert Green, near Cheadle, Cheshire, born at Manchester on 18 Feb. 1778, and educated at the grammar school of Halton, Cheshire. After learning cotton-weaving he became manager, at the age of twenty-two, of large print works at Middleton, near Manchester, and subsequently began business with his elder brother at Swinton, also near Manchester. In 1803 he removed to Shrewsbury, and in conjunction with others leased some...
Another 84 words (6 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Holbert Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Holbert Ranking

In the United States, the name Holbert is the 6,078th most popular surname with an estimated 4,974 people with that name. 5


United States Holbert migration to the United States +

For many English families, the social climate in England was oppressive and lacked opportunity for change. For such families, the shores of Ireland, Australia, and the New World beckoned. They left their homeland at great expense in ships that were overcrowded and full of disease. Many arrived after the long voyage sick, starving, and without a penny. But even those were greeted with greater opportunity than they could have experienced back home. Numerous English settlers who arrived in the United States and Canada at this time went on to make important contributions to the developing cultures of those countries. Many of those families went on to make significant contributions to the rapidly developing colonies in which they settled. Early North American records indicate many people bearing the name Holbert were among those contributors:

Holbert Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • G W Holbert, who landed in San Francisco, California in 1850 6

Contemporary Notables of the name Holbert (post 1700) +

  • Jerry Holbert, American cartoonist, recipient of the National Cartoonist Society Editorial Cartoon Award (2000 )
  • Aaron Keith Holbert (b. 1973), American former Major League Baseball infielder for the St. Louis Cardinals and Cincinnati Reds
  • William Henry Holbert (1855-1935), American National League and American Association Baseball catcher who played in the late 1800s
  • Alvah Robert "Al" Holbert (1946-1988), American automobile racing driver, five-time champion of the IMSA Camel GT series
  • Mrs. Thomas R. Holbert, American Republican politician, Alternate Delegate to Republican National Convention from Iowa, 1940 7
  • Peter Holbert, American politician, Member of New York State Assembly from Orange County, 1811-12 7
  • Kurt Holbert, American Republican politician, Presidential Elector for Tennessee, 2012 7
  • John H. Holbert, American politician, Member of New York State Assembly from Chemung County, 1897-98 7
  • Charles L. Holbert, American politician, Mayor of Coos Bay, Oregon, 1983-85 7
  • Ray Arthur Holbert III (b. 1970), former Major League Baseball infielder for the San Diego Padres, Atlanta Braves, Montreal Expos, and the Kansas City Royals


  1. Harrison, Henry, Surnames of the United Kingdom: A Concise Etymological Dictionary Baltimore: Geneological Publishing Company, 2013. Print
  2. Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
  3. Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
  4. Guppy, Henry Brougham, Homes of Family Names in Great Britain. 1890. Print.
  5. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  6. 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)
  7. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, November 11) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html


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