Yes, as the comment below, this name did not originate in Eastern Africa. I haven't done the research, but I'm fairly confident it existed in Europe first. Maybe someone could update that or verify it.
Only two things I associate this name with: the nut Filbert, and the squirrel from Animal Crossing.
― Anonymous User 1/29/2017
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Filbert the Flea was an early 1950's children's show. The show consisted of a narrator drawing the title character's adventures on a pad and tearing off each page as he continued.