Berthe History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

• Origins Available:
• Germany

Etymology of Berthe

The bountiful region surrounding the Rhine river is the birthplace of the name Berthe. A single name was, at one time, all that people needed. However, increasing ease of travel and the burgeoning populations forced people to adopt a hereditary surname to set themselves apart from others. A common form of surname created in the Rhineland was the local name. Originally denoting the proprietorship of the village or estate, the German preposition von, which means from or of, was used with local names. The surname Berthe was given to someone who lived in the Rhineland. The Berthe family emerged during the feudal era, when the Rhineland was controlled by feudal lords and princes.

Early Origins of the Berthe family

Early History of the Berthe family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Berthe research. Another 225 words (16 lines of text) covering the years 1652, 1701, 1715, 1721, 1782, 1793, 1823, 1827, 1829, 1842, 1849 and 1858 are included under the topic Early Berthe History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Berthe Spelling Variations

In the medieval era, many different cultural groups lived in the German states. There are thus many regional variations of German surnames from that era. Westphalians spoke Low German, which is similar to modern Dutch. Many German names carry suffixes that identify where they came from. Others have phrases attached that identify something about the original bearer. Other variations in German names resulted from the fact that medieval scribes worked without the aid of any spelling rules. The spelling variations of the name Berthe include Bethman, Bethemann, Betheman, Bettheman, Betthemann, Bethmman, Bethke, Berthe, Bethe, Bethge and many more.

Early Notables of the Berthe family

Another 47 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Berthe Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Berthe Ranking

In France, the name Berthe is the 723^rd most popular surname with an estimated 6,758 people with that name. 1

Migration of the Berthe family

The great European flow of migration to North America, which began in the middle of the 17th century and continued into the 20th century, was particularly attractive to those from the Rhineland who wished to escape either poverty or religious persecution. Many of those who left the Rhineland to seek their fortunes in the prosperous and free New World settled in the major urban centers of the United States and Canada. In the United States, the settlers from the Rhineland passed through immigration centers like that of Ellis Island, most of them moving on to Pennsylvania, Ohio, Texas, Illinois, California, and New York. In Canada, the majority of Rhinelanders settled in Ontario and the prairie provinces. An examination of passenger and immigration lists has revealed many important settlers to North America bearing the name Berthe, or one of its variants above: Johann Ludwig Bethmann, who came to Philadelphia, Pa. in 1774; Heinrich Bethge, who settled in America after fighting in the Revolutionary War, G. Adolph Bethge, who sailed from Hamburg to New York in 1850.