Hulbert
A surname usually derived from an old Germanic personal name meaning “bright” or “famous,” brought into English through medieval French forms.
The #6,509 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 59,215 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Hulbert is generally understood as a surname formed from an old personal name, not from a place or job. The name is linked to Germanic elements meaning “bright, famous” and is often treated as a later French-shaped form related to older names such as Albert or Ulbert. In English records, it appears as a hereditary surname developed from a given name.
History
The name is found in English records by the medieval period and later appears in several spelling forms, including Hulburt and Hulburd. Nineteenth- and early-twentieth-century surname writers often grouped it with Germanic names introduced through Norman or French channels. It is especially well attested in English and American usage, where the spelling Hulburt became a common variant.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
Early surname dictionaries noted that Hulburt became a notably common American spelling.
From the historical record
“Hulbert,Hulburd,Hulburt — Bapt. 'the son of Aibrecht' or 'Ulbrichf (Yongc.ii. 396), earlier forma oC Albert. Hulburt' is the popular ArDerican form. The MSpirate presents no difBculty,”
— A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames, with special American instances