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Irish surname

Herbert: Irish Surname History & Coat of Arms

Hoireabárd · 'son of Herbert' (a Norman personal name, already very common among the Anglo-Saxons as Herebeorht)

Woulfe (1923) gives Herbert as an anglicised form of Hoireabárd, 'son of Herbert', a Norman personal name already very common among the Anglo-Saxons as Herebeorht. He says the Herberts came into Ireland about the time of the Anglo-Norman invasion and settled in Kildare, Meath and Limerick. In 1890, 25 Herbert birth entries were registered in Ireland, with Dublin and Limerick named as the principal counties.

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Coat of arms associated with the Herbert surname
Irish formHoireabárd
Meaning'son of Herbert' (a Norman personal name, already very common among the Anglo-Saxons as Herebeorht)
CountiesKildare, Meath, Limerick, Dublin
Other spellings6

Origin of the Herbert name

Woulfe: Hoireabárd, 'son of Herbert' (a Norman personal name, already very common among the Anglo-Saxons as Herebeorht); 'the Herberts came into Ireland about the time of the Anglo-Norman invasion and settled in Kildare, Meath and Limerick'.[1]

  1. 189025 Herbert birth entries in Ireland; Munster 12, Leinster 8, Ulster 4, Connaught 1.[4]

Where in Ireland

Co. KildareWoulfe: settled here after the Anglo-Norman invasion.[1]
Co. MeathWoulfe: settled here after the Anglo-Norman invasion.[1]
Co. LimerickWoulfe: settled here; Hoibeárd 'formerly common in Limerick and Cork'; principal county in 1890.[1][2][4]
Co. DublinMatheson's other principal county for Herbert in 1890.[4]

Other spellings

Harbert · Herbard · Harberd · Hilbert · Hobart · Hubbard[1][5]

The Herbert coat of arms

The design shown is a coat of arms associated with the Herbert surname. In Irish and British heraldry a coat of arms is granted to one person and passes to their heirs; it does not belong to everyone who shares the surname. Many families still use the arms of their name as a symbol of their heritage.

Herbert crest gifts

Clan Herbert Coat Of Arms - Irish Family Crest St Patrick's Day Classic CapFH11 Classic Cap - Herbert Coat Of Arms St Patrick's Day Classic Cap Irish Cap Herbert Coat Of Arms - Irish Family Crest St Patrick's Day Classic Cap£33.00

Herbert surname: questions

What does the surname Herbert mean?

Woulfe gives Hoireabárd as 'son of Herbert', a Norman personal name already very common among the Anglo-Saxons as Herebeorht.[1]

Is Herbert an Irish or a Norman name?

Woulfe says the Herberts came into Ireland about the time of the Anglo-Norman invasion and settled in Kildare, Meath and Limerick; the personal name is Norman.[1]

Where in Ireland is Herbert found?

Woulfe names Kildare, Meath and Limerick. In 1890, Matheson names Dublin and Limerick as the counties in which principally found.[1][4]

What is Mac Hoireabáird?

Woulfe says it is an Irish patronymic, 'son of Herbert', assumed by the family of Delamare in Co. Westmeath.[3]

Sources

  1. Hoireabárd — Irish Names and Surnames (Rev. Patrick Woulfe, 1923), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/names/h/hoireabard-hoireabard.php
  2. Hoibeárd — Irish Names and Surnames (Rev. Patrick Woulfe, 1923), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/names/h/hoibeard.php
  3. Mac Hoireabáird — Irish Names and Surnames (Rev. Patrick Woulfe, 1923), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/names/mach/mac-hoireabaird-mac-hoireabaird.php
  4. Herbert — Birth Indexes of 1890 — Special Report on Surnames in Ireland (Robert E. Matheson, 1909), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/matheson/report/births/herbert.php
  5. Herbert — Varieties and Synonymes of Surnames and Christian Names in Ireland (Robert E. Matheson, 1901), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/matheson/varieties/list/873.php

Note: Matheson's 1890 figures for a surname include its spelling varieties (Matheson, Table Explanation).