Meaning & History
Gilberto is the Italian, Portuguese, and Spanish form of Gilbert, a name of Germanic origin that was introduced to England by the Normans. The root name Gilbert derives from the Old German elements gisal meaning "pledge, hostage" and beraht meaning "bright," thus carrying the meaning "bright pledge." The name was common in medieval England and was borne by a 12th-century English saint, the founder of the Gilbertine religious order.
In the Iberian Peninsula and Italy, Gilberto became the established vernacular equivalent of Gilbert, adapted to local phonological and orthographic patterns. In Galician, the name is spelled Xilberto or Xilberte. Nicknames for Gilberto include Gill, Gillie, Bert, and Berto.
The name has been particularly popular in Brazil and other Portuguese-speaking countries, as well as in Spain and Italy. Many notable bearers are footballers, including Brazilian players such as Gilberto da Silva Melo (commonly known as Gilberto) and Gilberto Ribeiro Gonçalves (known as Gil). Other variants and related names include the feminine form Gilberta (used in Spanish and Mexican contexts) and the Germanic original forms Gisilbert and Giselbert.
- Meaning: "bright pledge"
- Origin: Germanic via Norman-French
- Type: Given name (also used as a surname)
- Usage regions: Italian, Portuguese, Spanish, Galician
Related Names
Sources: Wikipedia — Gilberto