Joubert

Recorded in a number of spellings including Jubert, Jubeau, Jubin, Jubineau, and Joubert, Jouberton, Jouberteix, Jobin, Joublin, and possibly others, this is a French surname. According to the 'Dictionnaire etymologyique des noms de famille de France' whilst today the various spellings have sometimes become fused, there were originally two centres for the name and two separate origins. The first is that as Jubert it is from the departements of Ouest and Rhone, the derivation being from the Latin word 'jubilare' meaning joyful. As such it was apparently a nickname for a person who had a life full of pleasure, or perhaps given the robust nature of medieval nicknames, the complete reverse! The second origin is from the early pre 7th century personal name Jaubert. Recorded originally mainly in Normandy and Picardy it derived from the even earlier Gallic or German name Gaubert, which in England became Gillbeard or Gilbert. The translation is 'pledge-bright,' a description which seems odd to modern ideas, but which was one of many similar in ancient times. Early examples of church recordings taken from the few registers which survived the Revolution of 1792 when most were burnt, include Guillame Joubert at St Nicholas Angers, Maine et Loire, on November 3rd 1636, and Michelle Jubert who married Louis Audry at St Germain-en-Laye, Seine et Oise, on September 27th 1717.