HULBERT
The surname Hulbert is of English origin. It is classed as a locational name and is recorded in the British Isles, particularly in England, from the early medieval period.
The name derives from the Old English personal a name Hulbert, a composite of the elements hul (meaning hill) and beorht (meaning bright or famous). Consequently, the surname may be interpreted as “bright or famous hill” and would have originally identified people who dwelt near a prominent hill.
Later forms, recorded in the 12th and 13th centuries, show the name evolving into Holbert and Holdebert. These variations are built on the Germanic elements hold (meaning friendly or gracious) and berht (bright or famous) and reflect the name’s Anglo‑Saxon heritage.
The earliest documented spelling is that of William Holdebert in the Pipe Rolls of Warwickshire dated 1205 during the reign of King John. Subsequent entries appear in the Assize Court Rolls of Yorkshire in 1219 for John Holdebert and in the Sussex Subsidy Rolls of 1524 for John Hulberd.
Variations in spelling have included Holbert, Holbred, Holbird, Hulburd, Hilbert, Hulburt, Hurlbatt, Hulbard, Hilbard, Hullbert, Hulbirt, Hilbirt and others. A distinctive heraldic device attributed to a Hulbert family is an ermine bend set upon a blue field, edged by six silver mullets.
Some researchers note an alternate origin from the Old Norman given name Hildebert, composed of hild (conflict) and berht (bright or famous). Hildebert was introduced into England during the Norman Conquest of 1066 and may contribute to the diversity of the surname’s spellings and its use as a hereditary family name in subsequent centuries.
Contemporary records indicate that the Hulbert surname is most common in the United Kingdom, the United States and Australia, with the United States displaying the highest concentrations in the states of New York and Michigan. Despite its Anglo‑Saxon and Norman roots, the name is now distributed globally, although it remains relatively rare in non‑English‑speaking countries.
Typical given names associated with the Hulbert surname
Male
- Andrew
- Christopher
- David
- James
- John
- Mark
- Michael
- Paul
- Peter
- Richard
Female
- Angela
- Christine
- Claire
- Karen
- Lisa
- Margaret
- Mary
- Maureen
- Patricia
- Sarah
- Susan
- Victoria
Similar and related surnames
Related and similar names are generated algorithmically based on the spelling, and may not necessarily share an etymology.
How to communicate the surname Hulbert in...
Braille
⠓⠥⠇⠃⠑⠗⠞
Morse
......-.-..-.....-.-
Semaphore
There are approximately 2,533 people named Hulbert in the UK. That makes it roughly the 3,478th most common surname in Britain. Around 39 in a million people in Britain are named Hulbert.
Origin: English
Region of origin: British Isles
Country of origin: England
Religion of origin: Christian
Language of origin: English
Famous people named Hulbert
- Jack Hulbert - Actor (1892 to 1978)
- Claude Hulbert - Actor (1900 to 1964)
- Robin Hulbert - Football player
- Henry L. Hulbert - United States Marine Corps Medal of Honor recipient (1867 to 1918)
- Norman Hulbert - Politician (1903 to 1972)
- Emily Hulbert - Association football player
- Charles Hulbert - New Zealand mayor (1841 to 1926)
- Charles Hulbert - Businessman (1778 to 1857)
Names and descriptions courtesy of Wikipedia, and may contain errors. This is not intended to be an exhaustive list of every famous person with this name.