This surname is derived from an occupation. 'the lamb-herd'; compare Calvert, Coward, Stoddart, Swinnart, and Shepherd; v. Hind. Most unquestionably many of our Lamberts represent the occupation of lamb-herd. The Yorkshire Calverts all stand for the old occupative calveherd.

Johannes le Lambehirde, 1310: Whitaker's Craven.

John Lambherde, Close Rolls, 5 Edward IV.

Johannes Lamberd, 1379: Poll Tax of Yorkshire.

Thomas Lambhyrd, 1379: ibid.

The two last named are set down together.

Willelmus Lamhird, 1379: Poll Tax of Yorkshire.

Barbara Lamheard, 1596: St. Dionis Backchurch (London).

(a) Bapt. 'the son of Lambert.'

Lambert Suet, Close Rolls, 36 Henry III.

Adam fil. Lamberti, Lincolnshire, 1273. Hundred Rolls.

Roger Lamberd, Norfolk, ibid.

Stephen Lambert, Oxfordshire, ibid.

William Lambryt, Huntingdonshire, ibid.

This surname is derived from the name of an ancestor. 'the son of Lambert,' from the nick. Lamb (which see), and diminutive Lambelot; compare Hewlett and Ablett for Hughelot and Abelot.

1772. Married-John Lambelet and Sarah Starbuck: St. George, Hanover Square.

An Old English personal name, Landbeorht, meaning 'landbright.' Lambert, dapifer, witnessed Earl Gospatric's grant of Ederham and Nesebite to the monks of S. Cuthbert, a. 1153 (Nat. MSS., I, 25). He is probably the individual who had a controversy with the abbot of Kelso in 1177 concerning the "terra de Berewyc que fuit Dodini" (Kelso, p. 343). Lambard, vicar of Caral in the county of Fife, rendered homage in 1296 (Bain, II, p. 204). Robert Lambert was indweller in Kingorn in 1630 (PBK., p. 14).

(Anglo-French-Teut. and English) Land- Bright [Old Teutonic Landber(h)t, Lantberaht, Landbe(o)rht, &c.-Old Saxon Old English Gothic Old Norse land = O.H.Ger. lant, land, country + Old Saxon berht = Old English be(o)rht = Gothic bairht-s = Old Norse biart-r = O.H.Ger. beraht, bright, glorious, noble] Landbe(o)rht (variantly Londbriht) was by no means a common name among the Anglo-Saxons. Lambert is one of the commonest French surnames, and this form is found even in comparatively early German records.

Lanbert-us, Lambert-us are the Domes­day forms.

(English) Lamb-Herd [Old English lamb + hierde] John Lambherde.—Close Rolls, A.D. 1465-6.

(English, Dutch) Descendant of Lambert (land, bright).

1. From the Anglo-Saxon personal name. 2. From Lambert-sur-Dive, or Lambert-sur-Orne in Normandy. The former is the more probable, as we have other family names apparently derived from it, as Lampson, Lampkin, &c. Some of the Lamberts of Ireland seem, however, to have used the local prefix De; and they are said to have settled in that country temp. Henry II.

(Saxon.) From lamb, and beorht, fair—fair lamb.

Descended from Haco, a Norman chief, who 1086 held Witham, Lincoln, from Ralph Paganel (Domesd.). He appears 1091 as Haco de Multon (Mon. ii. 100, new ed.). Thomas de Multon, his son, a benefactor to Spalding, had Lambert de M., living t. Stephen (Lib. Niger). From his elder son descended the Lords Multon of Egremont. His younger son, Henry Fitz-Lambert, was a benefactor to the Church in Lincoln, and had Richard Fitz-Lambert, living 1235 (Roberts, Excerpt.). In 1325 William Lambarde was security for an M.P. Yorkshire, and the family continued to be of importance in York and Lincoln till t. Elizabeth. A branch became seated in Surrey, of which was the distinguished General, Sir Oliver Lambert, t. Elizabeth, ancestor of the Lords Lambart, Earls of Cavan.

William Fitz-Lambert, William Lambert, Peter, Flodus L., Normandy 1180-98 (Magni Rotuli Scaccarii Normanniae); Robert, Walter, William Lambert, Eng. c. 1272 (Rotuli Hundredorum).

From St. Lambert; a location name in France. from the French, Lambard, Lambert, Lambret; from the Danish, Lamberth; from the Dutch, Lambert, Lambrecht, Lammers, Lammerts; from the German, Lambart; in the Domesday Book, Lambert, tenant in chief; personal name Gen. Lambert, Governor of York, A.D. 1531.

The Lamberts have their principal home at the present time in Yorkshire, but they are also to be found in the eastern counties of Kent, Essex, and Norfolk, and also in Notts. In the 13th century the name occurred as Lambert, Lamberd, and Lambard in Yorkshire, Hunts, Cambridgeshire, Norfolk, Oxfordshire, and Bucks (H. R.). One of the Yorkshire centres of the name is now in the district of Bedale.