Show ContentsBarlet History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Barlet is an ancient Norman name that arrived in England after the Norman Conquest of 1066. The name Barlet comes from the personal name Bartholomew, and in its altered form is a baptismal name meaning Bartholomew. As the naming tradition grew in Europe baptismal names began to be introduced in many countries. Baptismal names were sometimes given in honor of Christian saints and other biblical figures. There are very few Christian countries in Europe that did not adopt surnames from these religious figures.

Early Origins of the Barlet family

The surname Barlet was first found in Sussex, where "the head of this family, according to Dallaway, may be considered one of the most ancient proprietors of land residing upon this estate in this county. The first in the pedigree is Adam de Bartelott, said to be of Norman origin, father of John, who married Joan Stopham, coheiress of lands in the manor from whence the name is derived." 1

Another reference claim "the Barttelots of Stopham have a tradition that they came into England at the Conquest, and settled at a place called La Ford, in that parish, in which they still reside." 2

In Norfolk, Godricus Bertelot was recorded c. 1157 and later the Subsidy Rolls of Sussex recorded Walter Bertelot in 1296. Thomas Bartelot was listed in the Feet of Fines for Cambridgeshire in 1294 and in the Subsidy Rolls for Sussex in 1327. 3

The church of Stopham contains a long series of the family's monuments. "The church is partly in the early and partly in the decorated English style, with a square tower; the pavement is almost entirely composed of large slabs of Sussex marble, inlaid with brass figures and memorials of the Barttelot family, and in the windows are representations of some of the Barttelots and Stophams in stained glass, said to have been removed from the ball windows of the old manor-house." 4

"The variants were numerous. It is quite evident that Bartlet or Bartlot was the popular nick, for this then favourite Apostolic name." For this reason, the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 attempts to show the various spellings: Bartelot (without surname), Bedfordshire; Thomas Bartholot, Cambridgeshire; William Bartolot, Oxfordshire; Bartelot Govi, Huntingdonshire; Alan Bartelet, Cambridgeshire; and Richard Bartelot, Oxfordshire. 5

To the north in Yorkshire, the Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379 included: Thomas Bartlot; and Robertus Bartlot. 5

Early History of the Barlet family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Barlet research. Another 66 words (5 lines of text) covering the years 1069, 1471, 1501, 1557, 1566, 1662, 1682 and 1944 are included under the topic Early Barlet History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Barlet Spelling Variations

A multitude of spelling variations characterize Norman surnames. Many variations occurred because Old and Middle English lacked any definite spelling rules. The introduction of Norman French to England also had a pronounced effect, as did the court languages of Latin and French. Therefore, one person was often referred to by several different spellings in a single lifetime. The various spellings include Bartlett, Bartlet, Bartlette, Bartolet, Bartelot and many more.

Early Notables of the Barlet family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was John Barthlet or Bartlett (fl. 1566), an English theological writer. John Bartlet (fl. 1662), was an English nonconformist divine, educated at the University of Cambridge and William Bartlet (died 1682), was an English independent minister, educated at New Inn Hall, Oxford. 6Richard Bartlot (1471-1557), was an English physician, Fellow of All Souls' College, and took the degree...
Another 65 words (5 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Barlet Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Barlet Ranking

In France, the name Barlet is the 2,672nd most popular surname with an estimated 2,000 - 2,500 people with that name. 7


United States Barlet migration to the United States +

Many English families left England, to avoid the chaos of their homeland and migrated to the many British colonies abroad. Although the conditions on the ships were extremely cramped, and some travelers arrived diseased, starving, and destitute, once in the colonies, many of the families prospered and made valuable contributions to the cultures of what would become the United States and Canada. Research into the origins of individual families in North America has revealed records of the immigration of a number of people bearing the name Barlet or a variant listed above:

Barlet Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • Hans Woolf Barlet, aged 25, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1732 8
  • Frederick Barlet, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1761 8


  1. Shirley, Evelyn Philip, The Noble and Gentle Men of England; The Arms and Descents. Westminster: John Bower Nichols and Sons, 1866, Print.
  2. Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
  3. Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
  4. Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
  5. Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
  6. Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
  7. http://www.journaldesfemmes.com/nom-de-famille/nom/
  8. Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)


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