Gibbs Surname Meaning & Origin
What the Gibbs last name means, where the surname began and how it spread.
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Meaning and origin of the Gibbs last name
Meaning of the Gibbs last name: son of Gib (Gilbert). Gibbs means "son of Gib", a medieval pet form of Gilbert, a Norman name meaning "bright pledge". Gib was so common that it also became an everyday word for a tomcat. The name is most frequent in the south and west of England, especially Somerset, Gloucestershire and Devon. A curious detail: the architect James Gibbs designed the church of St Martin-in-the-Fields in London's Trafalgar Square.
Arms associated with the Gibbs name
A curious English detail: younger sons added small marks to their father's arms, so brothers named Gibbs could each carry a slightly different shield.
Get your full Gibbs family history
This is only a glimpse of the Gibbs story. The full Gibbs history report goes much deeper into where the name began, who carried it and how the family spread, and it comes with a museum-style painted Gibbs coat of arms. Get the full Gibbs report.
Gibbs name FAQ
What does the Gibbs name mean?
Son of Gib (Gilbert). Common variants include Gibb, Gibson, Gibbons.
Where does the Gibbs surname come from?
It originates in England, and is also found in the United States, Australia and Canada.
Is there a Gibbs coat of arms?
Arms were granted to individuals rather than to everyone with a surname. Herald Lab paints a personalized Gibbs coat of arms in museum style, based on historic heraldry.
Researched by Herald Lab Research Studio, since 1993. Sources: Reaney & Wilson, Dictionary of English Surnames; Dictionary of American Family Names (Oxford); US Census Bureau 2010.