Herbert - Origin and Meaning of the name

[ 2 syll. her-ber(t), he-rbe-rt ] The boy name Herbert is pronounced HHERBerT ^KEY. Herbert's language of origin is Germanic, and it is predominantly used in English, French, and German. Two-element name derived from heri which means 'army, warrior' ; berht which means 'bright, famous'. Old forms of the name include Herebeorht (Old English) and Heribert (Germanic). The name was borne by Saint Heribert (970-1021), who was Archbishop of Cologne and Chancellor of Emperor Otto III. The name was brought by the Normans to England; the continental form displaced the Old English form of the name which was used before the Conquest. The first name was commonly used by English speakers during the medieval times but it fell into disuse after the 13th century. The name was subsquently known mostly as the surname of the earls of Pembroke, a prominent family in the 16th and 17th centuries of which the Welsh poet and priest George Herbert was a famous member. The first name was revived in the 19th century alongside other medieval names.

Variant forms of the name include the Italian Eriberto, the Frisian Harbert, the Japanese and Frisian Haro, the Frisian Harro, the English Hebert, the Spanish Herberto, the German Heribert, the Portuguese and Spanish Heriberto, and the Spanish Rigoberto. The short forms Bert (Dutch, English, and German) and Herb (English), and the pet forms Bertie (English) and Herbie (English) are other variants of Herbert. See also the related form, the Czech, Hungarian, and German Berti.

Herbert is a rare baby name for boys. At the peak of its usage in 1929, 0.710% of baby boys were named Herbert. Its ranking then was #25. The baby name has since suffered a steep drop in frequency, and is used only on a very modest scale today. In 2008, out of the group of boy names directly related to Herbert, the Spanish Rigoberto was the most popular.

Baby names that sound like Herbert include the Frisian Harbert, the English Harvard, the Punjabi Harpreet, the Spanish Herberto, the German Heribert, and the Portuguese and Spanish Heriberto.

Details of famous persons named Herbert:
Actor Jackie Gleason, born Herbert John Gleason, 26 February 1916 - 24 June 1987, Brooklyn, New York.
Author H. G. Wells, born Herbert George Wells, 21 September 1866 - 13 August 1946, Bromley, England.
Military Leader H. Norman Schwarzkopf, born Herbert Norman Schwarzkopf, 22 August 1934, Trenton, New Jersey.
Musician Herbert Mills, born 2 April 1912 - 12 April 1989, Piqua, Ohio.
US President Herbert Hoover, born 10 August 1874 - 20 October 1964, West Branch, Iowa.

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