Gibson is a Scottish and English surname. The name is derived from a patronymic form of the common mediaeval personal name Gib, which is a short form of Gilbert. Variant forms of the surname include Gibsoun, Gipson, Gibbson, Gibbons, Gilson, Gibb, Gibbs and amongst others.
The personal name Gilbert was introduced into Britain by followers of William the Conqueror after the Norman Invasion of 1066. The Norman name was originally found as Gislebert or Gillebert, and is composed of the Germanic elements Gisil, meaning "hostage" or "noble youth", and berht, meaning "bright" or "famous". Gilbert became a very popular given name in England during the Middle Ages.