Surname Guilbault - Meaning and Origin
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Guilbault: What does the surname Guilbault mean?
The last name Guilbault is a French surname originates from a region in Northern France called Normandy. It is derived from the old French “guilbeau” meaning a young nobleman or knight. This surname is usually found in North American countries from French-speaking immigrants.
The Guilbault surname is probably derived from a Germanic source since many words beginning with 'guil' or 'guilb' were introduced to France from Germanic speaking cultures. It is believed to be a version of a Germanic name, possibly the Old French form of Guillem (Willhelm) a very common name in the Middle Ages.
Originally, the people bearing the last name Guilbault may have been members of the French aristocracy, or were given the name as an honorific title bestowed by the French Crown. The modern-day spellings of Guilbault and Guillemault are assumed to have developed from the same source, though some researchers have suggested the later surname may be derived from the Latin word 'gillemavit', meaning 'he who wishes more'.
In modern times, people with the surname Guilbault are prominent in many countries, including Canada, France, and the United States. Common variations of the name include Guilbaut and Guillet. In recent decades, Guilbault has become a common surname in many English-speaking countries due to its popularity amongst the French-Canadian diaspora.
Order DNA origin analysisGuilbault: Where does the name Guilbault come from?
The last name Guilbault is most commonly found in the Canadian province of Quebec today. This name originated from medieval French and was first found in the region formerly known as New France.
In Quebec, the name Guilbault is derived from the Old French word "gill," which means "pledge." It is believed that this name was derived from someone who held or pledged an item as surety for a loan or debt.
In the province of Quebec, this name is one of the most popular last names. It is ranked 717th for all last names in the region. Guilbault is mainly found in the southern regions of Quebec, such as Montreal, Trois-Rivières, and Gatineau.
Across the Canadian border, the name Guilbault is slightly less popular. It ranks 806th out of all last names in Canada. It is mainly found in the eastern part of the country in cities such as Ottawa, Toronto, Hamilton, and Quebec City.
In the United States, the name Guilbault is not as common. It is ranked 15,062th out of all last names in the country. In the U.S., there are pockets of the Guilbault name located mainly in the northeastern part of the country, with Connecticut, Maine, Pennsylvania, and New York all having populations of people with this last name.
Variations of the surname Guilbault
The surname Guilbault is generally thought to have French origins. Variants of this surname are Guilbeau, Guilbee, Guilbaud, Guillbo, Guillebault, Guillebee et Guillebaud.
The most common spelling of the Guilbault surname is Guilbault. This surname can also be found spelled as Guilbeault, Guilbeau, Guilbaud, Guillbo, Guillbeault, Guillebault, Guillebaud and Guillbee.
The variants of the name owe their origin to the founding family which was from northern France. After the Normans invaded the region, the French language adopted a more anglicized spelling. This means that through generations, the name has developed with various variations of the spelling.
The surnames Guilbaud, Guilbault, and Guillebault are known as patronymic surnames and denote a direct relationship to the male ancestor whose name appears in the original spelling.
The surname is sometimes also seen as Guilbleu, Guileboe, Guilbou, Guillbault or Guillbeau, though these are variants of other, more commonly-surnames.
The version of the name that is most often found in modern times is Guilbault. Spelling variants of the name are common in Quebec, in areas that were settled by French-speaking Canadians. In the United States, however, the variety of spellings is much less common.
Variations of the Guilbault family name are well distributed throughout the world, with most descendants living in Europe and North America. There are some populations living in South America, the Caribbean, and Asia.
Famous people with the name Guilbault
- Sébastien Guilbault, Canadian actor
- André Guilbault, Canadian actor
- Jean Guilbault, Canadian actor
- Patrice Guilbault, Canadian actor
- Jean-Francois Guilbault, Canadian politician
- Nathan Guilbault, Canadian musician
- Daphnée Guilbault, Canadian politician
- Joan Guilbault, Canadian artist
- Paul Guilbault, Canadian actor
- Savannah Guilbault, Canadian singer