Historically Gipkewalme (in 1424 also Gypkewalke) – Latvian Ģipka, Livonian Gipk. Unequivocally considered to be of Baltic stock. The first component in the historical compounds has been linked with a family name Gibbeke by V. Kiparsky, also suggesting that it could be of Old Prussian or Lithuanian origin. Records, however, show that similar names have been documented in many places in Courland: in 1523 – Hans Gybbe, Hermen Gibbedoeth, Hansz Gibbene. 14th to 16th century records show other toponyms with a similar connection, e.g., in 1551 – by Gibben, in 1331 – in villa Gybelendorpe, in 1542 – Gibelen (= Ģibuļniek, Ģibuļgals). Some of the toponyms have, indeed, been derived from personal names, however, the (dialectal) Latvian verb ģibt (“to sink in, get stuck”) must be noted. Endzelīns has doubted Latvian provenience of this verb, suggesting a Curonian source, in this case Curonians might have been the ones to name the village.
The second component in the historical forms (-walme, -walke) might correspond to the geographical appellation valks (in modern Latvian.)[1]
Gipk