Gibbons (surname)

Gibbons is an Irish and English surname of Norman origin. The surname was first found in the counties of Limerick and Mayo, in which two distinct families arose shortly after the Norman invasion of Ireland during the 12th century. The majority of the family hails from Mayo and are a branch of the great Burke family. They were originally known as "MacGibbon Burke".

The families from Limerick are a branch of the aristocratic Fitzgerald dynasty. They were knights descended from the Irish nobleman John Fitzgerald, son of the Norman soldier, peer and Justiciar of Ireland Maurice Fitzgerald. One branch of the Fitzgerald family was known as the Knight of Kerry or The Green Knight, and another as the Knight of Glin, also known as the Black Knight or Knight of The Valley. Both branches kept the Fitzgerald name. The third branch of the Fitzgerald family came to be known as "Fitzgibbon" and were known as the White Knight. They held territory in southeast Limerick, near County Cork.

The surname is derived from "Gibb", a short form of the Norman personal name Gilbert, which was first introduced in the 11th century by followers of William the Conqueror after the Norman Conquest of England. It was originally derived from the name Gislebert or Gillebert, which is composed of the Germanic elements Gisil which means "hostage", "pledge", or "noble youth," and berht, which means "bright" or "famous."

Notable people

• Abigail Hopper Gibbons (1801–1893), American schoolteacher, abolitionist, and social welfare activist
• Alan Gibbons (born 1953), English writer
• Beth Gibbons (born 1965), English singer and songwriter
• Billy Gibbons (born 1949), American rock musician
• Brian Gibbons (born 1988), American ice hockey player
• Carroll Gibbons (1903–1954), American-born British bandleader
• Cedric Gibbons (1893–1960), American art director
• Christopher Gibbons (1615–1676), English composer, son of Orlando
• Conor Gibbons, Irish Gaelic footballer
• D. Barry Gibbons (1929-1998), American politician
• Dave Gibbons (born 1949), English comic book artist and writer
• David Gibbons (politician) (1927–2014), Prime Minister of Bermuda
• Edward Gibbons (1568 – before 1650), English musician, brother of Orlando
• Edward Stanley Gibbons (1840–1913), philatelist and founder of Stanley Gibbons Ltd.
• Ellis Gibbons (1573–1603), English composer, brother of Orlando
• Elsie Gibbons (1903–2003), Canadian politician
• Euell Gibbons (1911–1975), outdoorsman and proponent of natural diets
• Franco Gibbons, Palauan politician
• Frederick Gibbons, American psychologist
• Gary Gibbons (born 1946), British theoretical physicist
• Sir George Christie Gibbons, KC (1848–1918), Canadian lawyer and businessman
• Gillian Gibbons (born 1953), British woman arrested in Sudan for naming a teddy bear Muhammad
• Grinling Gibbons (1648–1721), master wood carver
• Gwilym Gibbons (born 1971), British arts leader
• Herbert Adams Gibbons (1880–1934), American journalist
• Herbert Gladstone Coe Gibbons (1905–1963), English cricketer
• Hope Gibbons (1856–1947), New Zealand businessman
• Ian Gibbons (musician) (1952–2019), English keyboardist, member of The Kinks
• Ibedul Gibbons (1944–2021), Palauan chief
• J. Whitfield Gibbons (born 1939), American herpetologist
• James Gibbons (1834–1921), Archbishop of Baltimore, 1877–1921, and Cardinal
• James Gibbons (footballer) (born 1998), English footballer
• Jay Gibbons (born 1977), American baseball player
• Jean D. Gibbons (born 1938), American statistician
• Jim Gibbons (disambiguation)
• John C. Gibbons (died 2021), Palauan politician
• John Gibbons (born 1962), American baseball player and manager
• John H. Gibbons (scientist) (1929–2015), American scientist and Whitehouse advisor
• John Joseph Gibbons (1924–2018), American lawyer and judge
• John Lloyd Gibbons (1837–1919), British politician
• June and Jennifer Gibbons (1963–, 1963–1993), identical twins known as "The Silent Twins" since they only communicated with each other
• Leeza Gibbons (born 1957), American television personality
• Lile Gibbons, American politician
• Lyman Gibbons (1808–1879), Justice of the Alabama Supreme Court
• Nolan Gibbons (2005–2020), American teen singer and member of Acapop! KIDS
• Norah Gibbons (1952–8 April 2020), Irish children's advocate and social worker
• Orlando Gibbons (1583–1625), English composer
• Paul Gibbons (born 1971), New Zealand pole vaulter
• Peter Gibbons (born 1962), Canadian racing driver
• Robert Gibbons (disambiguation)
• Sam Gibbons (1920–2012), American politician and distinguished World War II Veteran
• Scott Gibbons (born 1969), American composer
• Shay Gibbons (1929–2006), an Irish international footballer
• Simon Gibbons, Professor of Phytochemistry at the School of Pharmacy, University of London
• Stella Gibbons (1902–1989), English author
• Steve Gibbons (disambiguation)
• Thomas Gibbons (disambiguation)
• William Gibbons (congressman) (1726–1800), American lawyer and delegate to the Continental Congress
• William Conrad Gibbons (1926–2015), American military historian
• William Ernest Gibbons (1898–1976), British politician
• William M. Gibbons (1919–1990), American lawyer and railroad executive

Fictional characters

• • Augustus Eugene Gibbons, a fictional character portrayed by Samuel L. Jackson in the xXx trilogy
  • Gibbons, a fiction character in Tintin in the Congo
  • Gibbons, a fictional character in The Blue Lotus
  • Peter Gibbons, a character from the popular cult movie, Office Space
  • Portia Gibbons, a fictional character in The Mighty B!

Gibbons may also be used as a first name. Notable people with the name include:

• Gibbons Bagnall (1719–1800), English poetical writer