Gilbert, of Germanic origin, is derived from the elements 'gil' meaning 'bright' and 'berht' signifying 'famous'. It was introduced to Britain by the Normans around the 11th century, initially as Gilbert of Montreuil who accompanied William the Conqueror in his invasion. The name gained prominence among the British aristocracy throughout the Middle Ages.
The name Gilbert appears to have seen its highest popularity between the years 1915 and 1923, with a notable spike in births occurring in those years. During this period, there were three consecutive years (1915-1917) where the number of births exceeded ten, peaking at 14 births in 1918. However, by the early 1930s, the popularity of the name Gilbert started to decline, with fewer than ten births occurring annually from 1932 onwards. This trend continued until the late 1970s, with only a few exceptions such as the years 1956, 1959, and 1963 where more than ten babies were named Gilbert at birth. Overall, throughout the period from 1904 to 1991, there were a total of 673 births registered with the name Gilbert.