What is "hibbert"

Hibbert is a surname. Its origin can be traced back to the Old Germanic given name Hildeberht, which is composed of German elements hilde (battle or strife) and berht (bright or famous). Today it might be translated to "bright battle". It was adopted by the Normans, where it became "Hildebert" or "Hilbert".

This specific variation ("Hibbert") was introduced to England after the Conquest of 1066 as a surname rather than a personal name. The Norman Conquerors imported a vast number of Norman French personal names into England, which largely replaced traditional Old English personal names among the upper and middle classes. It is a prevailing characteristic for Norman surnames to experience many spelling variations. Variations include Hibart, Hibbard, Hibbart, Hibbet, Hibbets, Hibbett, Hibbotts, Hubert, Hubbert, Hubbard, and others. The names Ilbert and Ibbitt share a similar origin.

This surname appears to have been first noted in Cheshire, England, where they held a family seat from very early times and were granted lands by Duke William of Normandy, their liege lord, for their distinguished assistance at the Battle of Hastings in 1066 A.D. From England the surname Hibbert further spread to the Dutch, Welsh, and Irish. The first immigrant to the Americas with this surname appears to be Robert Hibbert, who arrived in Salem, Massachusetts, in 1636. The most people with this surname live in the United States where the most individuals with this surname can be found in New York and Pennsylvania. Globally the country with the highest concentration of individuals with this surname (by percent of population, 2014) is Jamaica where 0.13% of the population carries the name and it is ranked number 125.