The Gibson Coat of Arms and Name Meaning
Discover the meaning of Gibson, its origins in Scotland & England, and the story behind a Gibson family crest.
Order your pack and our heraldry team researches and paints the Gibson coat of arms for you.
Origin of the Gibson name
Gibson is a patronymic meaning "son of Gib", a medieval pet form of Gilbert, from Germanic gisil, "pledge", and berht, "bright". Gilbert was a popular name after the Norman Conquest, and its short form Gib was widely used. Gibson is common in northern England, the Scottish Lowlands and Ulster, and across the English-speaking world.
Our historical archives hold much more on the Gibson name: dates, names and records of early bearers.
This overview covers the Gibson name in Scotland & England. We also hold records of the name in other countries, such as the United States, Northern Ireland and Australia; your full pack is researched for your family's country of origin.
Get your full Gibson family history
The complete Gibson pack goes much further: documented origins, early records and family spread, plus a hand-checked coat of arms.
Gibson name FAQ
What does the Gibson name mean?
Son of Gib (Gilbert). Common variants include Gibb, Gibbs, Gibbons.
Where does the Gibson surname come from?
It originates in Scotland & England, and is also found in the United States, Northern Ireland and Australia.
Is there a Gibson coat of arms?
Arms were granted to individuals, not whole surnames, so there is no single Gibson crest. Herald Lab paints a personalized Gibson coat of arms based on historic heraldry.
Researched by Herald Lab Research Studio, since 1993. Sources: Reaney & Wilson, Dictionary of English Surnames; George F. Black, The Surnames of Scotland (New York Public Library, 1946); Dictionary of American Family Names (Oxford); US Census Bureau 2010.