MOTTO: Vie et Liberate

There can be no truly certain origin of the Vibert surname, but like many names it probably was originally a Christian name which became adapted as a surname.

According to Messervy, a renowned historian, in a charter of king Stephen in 1136 mention is made of Benedict son of Wibert. In early times the spelling of surnames varied considerably and various forms of the surname can be found including Wibert, Wiberd, and Vibert, which had the same origin and are probably derived from the Teutonic word Wigbert which means war bright.
There does not seem to be any evidence to support the contention by the heraldist Payne who thought that the surname was of Tyrolean extraction.

He stated in his Armorial that there was a family in Geneva, Switzerland, with the surname Wiberd and bearing the same coat of arms as the Jersey Viberts. Whilst there is a road there named Avenue des Vibert I have been unable to find out anything else, but any info would be gratefully received.

The earliest mention of the surname in official Channel Island records was in Guernsey in 1274. In the rent roll of that year for the area known as Vale in Guernsey there is mention of a Robert Wiberd.

A few years later on the 23rd November 1292 the surname appears in the Rolls of the Court Assizes held by Robert de Leysset and the Prior Wenlock, Justices itinerant. A man by the name of Pierre Vibert appears as a juror for the parish of St. Brelade. Forty six years later in 1338 another Pierre Vibert was recorded as having been an archer who defended Mont Orgueil Castle against the seige of the French Admiral Nicholas Behuchet (1338-1345).

There is an unfortunate hiatus in the local records of the 15th century. Many have been lost, or neglected, and in later centuries many ancient parchments were considered to be plague carriers, and were burnt by order of the courts as a preventative measure against the spread of infection.

In the 16th century the Royal Court Records of Jersey began and throw some light on family history.

The surname is also preserved in Jersey geography. There are several records of districts and pieces of land bearing the name such as :-

"Le Jardin de Vibert" in Quennevais, St. Brelade 1620

"Reage De La Viberderie" a district also in Quennevais 1753

" Le Viberderie" a field in St Peter 1715

"Rue es Vibert" a road on the border between St. Mary and St. Peter

"Mont Vibert" a small hill in St. Mary near Greve De Lecq

It is believed that the latter road was so named as old property records show that there were three Vibert families living on that on short road.

The early church records clearly show that the in the 17th and 18th centuries the vast majority of the Viberts settled in Jersey were in the western parishes of St Ouen, St Mary, St Peter, and St Brelade.In fact at that time the majority were settled in St Ouen which is the parish I live in.

The Godfray map of Jersey of 1849 gives a listing of all the property owners of that time, and details of the main properties owned by Viberts is shown here. I have also looked up the early 19th century rates ledger and my findings are here

A little history of St Ouen can be found here. Please forgive the favouritism, it is my home after all !!!