Recent in Baby
When Baby Resists SolidsWhen Baby Resists SolidsBaby Biting TipsBaby Biting Tips5 Tips To Help Prevent Highchair Injuries5 Tips To Help Prevent Highchair InjuriesWhen Baby and Pet MeetWhen Baby and Pet MeetTreatments for ColicTreatments for ColicBaby Milestones – The First YearBaby Milestones – The First YearTips for Relieving Teething PainTips for Relieving Teething PainBenefits of Making Your Own Baby FoodBenefits of Making Your Own Baby Food

Home › Baby Names Directory › Colbert

Colbert

♂ Boy

How to Pronounce Colbert

Pronounced KOHL-bert /ˈkoʊl.bərt/Medium

Meaning: Colbert derives from an old Germanic personal name whose -bert element means 'bright, famous'; it became a French and English surname, borne by the statesman Jean-Baptiste Colbert, and later a given name.Low

In 30 seconds: Colbert is a surname-turned-first-name of Germanic origin, ending in the 'bright' element -bert. As a boy's given name it stayed rare, peaking around 1931 (said KOHL-bert).
💕 Browse more names
Origin MediumFrench, Germanic
MeaningColbert derives from an old Germanic personal name whose -bert element means 'bright, famous'; it became a French and English surname, borne by the statesman Jean-Baptiste Colbert, and later a given name.
U.S. rank (2012)#11055 ↘ Falling
2012 U.S. births6 boys (0.00% of U.S. boys)
Peak year1931
Total births (all-time)≈ 839

Popularity in the U.S. · SSA data

peak 193118862012

U.S. births per year (Social Security Administration, 1880–present). Pink marker = peak year.

SSA data updated May 2026. How we source & verify this data.

History & Origin

Colbert comes from a Germanic personal name whose -bert element means 'bright, famous,' and it passed into French and English as a surname before being used as a first name. It shares its shape with Gilbert and Delbert.

As a given name Colbert was never common in the United States, given to only about twenty boys a year at its early peak around 1931, and it has been very rare since. It reads today as a distinguished surname-style choice.

Did you know? Colbert is best known as the surname of Jean-Baptiste Colbert, finance minister to Louis XIV; the -bert ending it shares with Albert and Gilbert means 'bright' or 'famous.'
Overall data confidence 55%
References - Colbert — Germanic '-bert' bright/famous; French/English surname (Jean-Baptiste Colbert)

Variations

CulbertColbart

Nicknames

ColeBert

Famous Bearers

  • Famous bearers coming soon.

If you like Colbert…

Gilbert— shares the 'bright' -bert ending
Delbert— a like vintage -bert name
Herbert— a like Germanic -bert classic
Hubert— another 'bright'-rooted -bert name

Explore names like Colbert

By themerarevintagesurname-namegermanic

All themes →All meanings →All origins →

Frequently Asked

What does the name Colbert mean?

It is a Germanic-rooted surname name; its -bert ending means 'bright' or 'famous,' as in Albert and Gilbert.

How do you pronounce Colbert?

It is said KOHL-bert /ˈkoʊl.bərt/, two syllables with the stress on the first.

Is Colbert a boy or girl name?

Colbert is used as a boy's name.

How popular is Colbert?

It has always been rare in the United States as a first name, given to only about twenty boys a year at its peak in the early nineteen-thirties.

💬 Ask Nia