Show ContentsPhilbert History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Early Origins of the Philbert family

The surname Philbert was first found in Norfolk at Filby, a parish, in the East and West Flegg incorporation, hundred of East Flegg. [1] This parish dates back to before the Domesday Book of 1086 where it was listed as Filebey. [2] Literally the place name means "farmstead or village of a man called Fili or Fila." [3]

So, conjecturally, the surname is descended from the tenant of the village and lands of Filby, held by Thorold, Sheriff of Lincolnshire, from William de Warrenne, a Norman Baron, who was recorded in the Domesday Book census of 1086. At the time of the Domesday the village contained 10 salthouses and was surrounded by Filbey Broad.

Early History of the Philbert family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Philbert research. Another 75 words (5 lines of text) covering the years 1202, 1273, 1280, 1315, 1325, 1557, 1581, 1582 and 1886 are included under the topic Early Philbert History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Philbert Spelling Variations

A multitude of spelling variations characterize Norman surnames. Many variations occurred because Old and Middle English lacked any definite spelling rules. The introduction of Norman French to England also had a pronounced effect, as did the court languages of Latin and French. Therefore, one person was often referred to by several different spellings in a single lifetime. The various spellings include Filby, Filbey, Filbee, Filbie, Philby, Philbey, Phillbee, Fylbey, Fylby and many more.

Early Notables of the Philbert family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was William Filbie (c.1557-1582), an English Roman Catholic priest from Oxfordshire. " On 25 March 1581 he was ordained priest in the church of St. Mary at Rheims, by the bishop of Châlons-sur-Marne, and soon afterwards he returned to England upon the mission. He was apprehended at Henley while incautiously attempting to speak to Father Edmund Campion, who was being conducted to London with other prisoners (Simpson, Edmund Campion, p. 228). They were all committed to the Tower, 22 July 1581. Filbie...
Another 88 words (6 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Philbert Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


United States Philbert migration to the United States +

Many English families left England, to avoid the chaos of their homeland and migrated to the many British colonies abroad. Although the conditions on the ships were extremely cramped, and some travelers arrived diseased, starving, and destitute, once in the colonies, many of the families prospered and made valuable contributions to the cultures of what would become the United States and Canada. Research into the origins of individual families in North America has revealed records of the immigration of a number of people bearing the name Philbert or a variant listed above:

Philbert Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • Jean Philbert, aged 42, who landed in Louisiana in 1719 [4]
  • Thomas Philbert, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1765 [4]
Philbert Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Louis Augustus Philbert, who arrived in New York in 1837 [4]
  • Augustine Philbert, who arrived in New York in 1838 [4]

Contemporary Notables of the name Philbert (post 1700) +

  • Paul Philbert Fry (1892-1981), American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Indiana, 1948


  1. Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
  2. Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
  3. Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
  4. 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)


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