Gilberte
A French feminine name derived from the Germanic elements "gisil" (pledge) and "berht" (bright).
Name Census estimates that about 5 living Americans carry the first name Gilberte. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Gilberte today is around 103 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Gilberte births was 1921 (16 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Gilberte. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
Key insights
- • The typical person named Gilberte is about 103 years old today, placing it firmly among the names of earlier generations. Most living Gilbertes were born before 1933.
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Gilberte. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
5
~ 1 in 68,550,868 Americans
Peak year
1921
16 babies that year
Average age
103
years old
1934 SSA rank
#3,993
Tracked since 1912
Popularity
Gilberte: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Gilberte from the 1910s through to the 1930s, spanning 3 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1920s, with 102 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 1920s peak, Gilberte remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Gilberte by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Gilberte during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Gilbertes live
The SSA's state-level files cover 3 states and territories. Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire recorded the most babies named Gilberte, while New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Maine recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 14 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Gilberte
The given name Gilberte has its origins in the Germanic languages, derived from the root word "gild" which means "value" or "sacrifice." This name gained prominence during the medieval period, particularly in regions where Germanic languages were spoken, such as parts of modern-day France, Germany, and the Low Countries.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Gilberte can be traced back to the 12th century. It was mentioned in the French epic poem "La Chanson de Roland," which recounts the exploits of the legendary knight Roland during the reign of Charlemagne. The name appears to have been associated with nobility and valor during this time.
In the 13th century, a notable figure bearing the name Gilberte was Gilberte de Lassigny, a French noblewoman and patron of the arts. She was known for her patronage of the Gothic architecture movement and her support for the construction of several churches and cathedrals in the region.
The name Gilberte also has connections to religious figures. In the 14th century, there was a Benedictine nun named Gilberte de Sempringham who founded the Gilbertine Order, a religious order that followed the Rule of St. Augustine. She was renowned for her piety and devotion to the monastic life.
During the Renaissance period, the name gained further prominence with individuals like Gilberte Couelle, a 16th-century French poet and translator who was part of the literary circle known as the Pléiade. Her works contributed to the development of the French Renaissance poetry movement.
Another notable figure was Gilberte Pascal, a 17th-century French writer and memoirist. She was the sister of the famous philosopher and mathematician Blaise Pascal and is remembered for her memoirs, which provide valuable insights into the intellectual and cultural life of 17th-century France.
The name Gilberte has also been borne by other influential individuals throughout history, such as Gilberte Thirion, a 19th-century Belgian painter and sculptor, and Gilberte Swennen, a 20th-century Belgian writer and poet known for her contributions to the Flemish literary movement.
People
Gilberte + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Gilberte as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with G
Other first names starting with G with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Gilberte: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Gilberte?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 5 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Gilberte going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 68,550,868 US residents.
Is Gilberte a common name?
We classify Gilberte as "Very Rare". It ranks above 18.2% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 196 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Gilberte most popular?
The single biggest year for Gilberte was 1921, when 16 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Gilberte is about 103 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Gilberte a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Gilberte in the SSA data are female. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.