GILBY
Gilby
Origin Gilby is an English surname of Old Norse and Old English origin. It is derived from the Old Norse personal name "Gilby" or the Old English pre 7th Century "Gile."
Meaning
The name Gilby is believed to mean "bright pledge" or "bright hostage," derived from the elements "gil," meaning "hostage" or "pledge," and "by," meaning "farmstead" or "settlement."
Distribution
The surname Gilby is most prevalent in the East Midlands and East Anglia regions of England.
Historical Significance
The earliest recorded spelling of the surname Gilby dates back to the 13th century in the Curia Regis Rolls of Lincolnshire. Notable individuals bearing the surname Gilby include Anthony Gilby, a Protestant theologian and Calvinist preacher in Elizabethan England.
Variants
Variants of the surname Gilby include Gilbie, Gilbee, and Gillby.
Present Day
Today, individuals with the surname Gilby can be found across the United Kingdom and in various parts of the world, owing to migration and diaspora. The name continues to be used as both a surname and a given name.
There are approximately 961 people named Gilby in the UK. That makes it roughly the 7,593rd most common surname in Britain. Around 15 in a million people in Britain are named Gilby.
Typical given names associated with the surname
Male
- Anthony
- Daniel
- David
- James
- John
- Mark
- Michael
- Paul
- Peter
- Simon
- Stephen
- Stuart
Female
- Angela
- Clare
- Elizabeth
- Emma
- Julie
- Lisa
- Margaret
- Pamela
- Samantha
- Sara
- Susan