LAMBERT - Surname Meaning and Family History

The Lambert surname is a Low German form of the name Landberht or Old English Landbeorht, meaning "bright land" or "light of the land," derived from the Germanic elements land meaning "land" and berht, meaning "bright or famous." The surname may also have derived as an occupational name for "lamb-herd."

Lambert is the 27th most common last name in France.

Surname Origin: French, English, Dutch, German

Alternate Surname Spellings: LAMBERTH, LAMBETH, LAMBUTH, LAMBER, LAMBERTE, LAMBURT, LAMBRETH, LUMBERT, LAMBRECHT, LAMBERTIS

Famous People with the Surname LAMBERT

• Miranda Lambert - American singer and songwriter
• Paul Lambert - Scottish football (soccer) player
• Adam Lambert - American singer
• Albert Edward Lambert - British architect
• Aylmer Bourke Lambert - British botanist
• Johann Heinrich Lambert  - Swiss mathematician and physicist
• Joseph-François Lambert - French adventurer and diplomat
• Percy E. Lambert - race car driver; first person to drive a car 100 miles in an hour
• Jordan Wheat Lambert - American chemist; helped to invent Listerine®
• Rachel Lambert "Bunny" Mellon - American horticulturalist, gardener, and philanthropist; granddaughter of Jordan Wheat Lambert

Where is the LAMBERT Surname Most Common?

According to surname distribution from Forebears, the Lambert surname is most prevalent in the United States, where it ranks as the 294th most common surname. There are greater numbers of Lamberts based on percentage of population, however, in countries with a sizable French-speaking population, including France (where the name ranks 20th), Monaco (23rd), Belgium (26th), Bermuda (31st), Luxembourg (34th), and Canada (134th).

Surname maps from WorldNames PublicProfiler indicate the Lambert surname is especially common in northern France, especially in the regions of Champagne-Ardenne and Franche-Comte along the border with Belgium. It is also especially common in the Wallonie region of Belgium and in Quebec, Canada.
 

Genealogy Resources for the Surname LAMBERT

French Surname Meanings and Origins
Does your last name have origins in France? Learn about the various origins of French surnames and explore the meanings of some of the most common French last names.

How to Research French Ancestry
Learn about the various types of genealogical records available for researching ancestors in France and how to access them, plus how to locate where in France your ancestors originated.

The Lambert DNA Project
This project seeks to establish relationships among individuals with the Lambert surname—and variants such as Lambard, Lamberth, Lambeth, Lambreth, Lamburt, Lombard and Lumbert—on a worldwide basis, using Y-DNA testing in combination with traditional genealogy research.

Lambert Family Crest - It's Not What You Think
Contrary to what you may hear, there is no such thing as a Lambert family crest or coat of arms for the Lambert surname. Coats of arms are granted to individuals, not families, and may rightfully be used only by the uninterrupted male line descendants of the person to whom the coat of arms was originally granted.

LAMBERT Family Genealogy Forum
Search this popular genealogy forum for the Lambert surname to find others who might be researching your ancestors, or post your own Lambert query.

FamilySearch - LAMBERT Genealogy
Explore over 2.5 million results from digitized historical records and lineage-linked family trees related to the Lambert surname on this free website hosted by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

DistantCousin.com - LAMBERT Genealogy & Family History
Explore free databases and genealogy links for the last name Lambert.

GeneaNet - Lambert Records
GeneaNet includes archival records, family trees, and other resources for individuals with the Lambert surname, with a concentration on records and families from France and other European countries.

The Lambert Genealogy and Family Tree Page
Browse genealogy records and links to genealogical and historical records for individuals with the Lambert surname from the website of Genealogy Today.

-----------------------

References: Surname Meanings & Origins

Cottle, Basil. Penguin Dictionary of Surnames. Baltimore, MD: Penguin Books, 1967.

Dorward, David. Scottish Surnames. Collins Celtic (Pocket edition), 1998.

Fucilla, Joseph. Our Italian Surnames. Genealogical Publishing Company, 2003.

Hanks, Patrick and Flavia Hodges. A Dictionary of Surnames. Oxford University Press, 1989.

Hanks, Patrick. Dictionary of American Family Names. Oxford University Press, 2003.

Reaney, P.H. A Dictionary of English Surnames. Oxford University Press, 1997.

Smith, Elsdon C. American Surnames. Genealogical Publishing Company, 1997.

>> Back to Glossary of Surname Meanings & Origins