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Show ContentsBergin History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
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Family Crest Download (JPG) Heritage Series - 600 DPI

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The Norman Conquest of England in 1066 added many new elements to an already vibrant culture. Among these were thousands of new names. The Bergin family lived in Devon, where they held a family seat after the Norman Conquest of England in the 11th century. Originally from France, the name denoted a native of Burgundy as in 'de Burgoyne'. 1 2 3

Early Origins of the Bergin family

The surname Bergin was first found in the Pipe Rolls of 1160 which includes an entry for Robert Burguignon (no county provided.) Later in London, we found John le Burguinun in the Pipe Rolls of 1173 and on the Isle of Man, the Pipe Rolls there listed John le Burguinn in 1214. John Burgoynoun was recorded at Trentham, Staffordshire in 1330. 4

The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 lists: John de Burgoyne, Somerset; Almaric Burgoyne, Bedfordshire; and John Burgoyn, Gloucestershire. 5 Richard Burgoyne, was Rector of Newton, Norfolk (no date given). 6

Farther to the north in Yorkshire, the Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379 included an entry for Elizabet de Burgon. 5

"William Burgoyn was chamberlain of the city of Exeter in 1496, and William Burgoyn was sheriff of that city in 1537. In the 16th and 17th centuries a gentle family of Burgoin resided at Bideford; and in the reign of George I., Thomas Burgoyne was a Bideford gentleman. In fact, as far back as the time of Henry VIII., Jeofferie Burgin was a Bideford townsman. During the 16th and 17th centuries a gentle family of Burgoin flourished in the hamlet of Zeal near South Tawton. Robert Burgoine, Esq., was a Tiverton churchwarden in 1654. In the 13th century this name, in the forms of Burgoyn and Burgoyne, occasionally preceded by "De," occurred in Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Gloucestershire, and Somerset. The Burgoyns in the east of England were at that distant period important families, and it is stated by most of the Devonshire antiquarians and historians that the Devonshire stock hailed originally from Bedfordshire. If this is true, the migration must have occurred at a very early date, since not only, as I have observed above, were high official positions in the city of Exeter held by the Burgoyns in the reigns of Henry VII. and Henry VIII., a circumstance itself not indicative of recent immigration, but as far back as the reign of Edward I. the name was represented in the west of England in the counties of Somerset and Gloucester." 7

Early History of the Bergin family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Bergin research. Another 181 words (13 lines of text) covering the years 1086, 1210, 1273, 1319, 1379, 1500, 1592, 1638, 1645, 1648, 1657, 1680, 1682, 1683, 1703, 1722, 1739, 1740, 1741, 1764, 1785, 1789, 1792 and 1795 are included under the topic Early Bergin History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Bergin Spelling Variations

Endless spelling variations are a prevailing characteristic of Norman surnames. Old and Middle English lacked any definite spelling rules, and the introduction of Norman French added an unfamiliar ingredient to the English linguistic stew. French and Latin, the languages of the court, also influenced spellings. Finally, Medieval scribes generally spelled words according to how they sounded, so one person was often referred to by different spellings in different documents. The name has been spelled Burgon, Burgoin, Burgunie, Burgoyne, Burgoyn, Burgoigne, Burgane, Burgin and many more.

Early Notables of the Bergin family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was Thomas Burgane, a prominent landholder in Scotland in the 16th century; and Sir John Burgoyne (c.1592-1657) 1st Baronet, an English politician, Member of Parliament for Warwickshire (1645-1648), supported the Parliamentarian cause in the English Civil War. John Burgoyne (1722-1792), the English dramatist and general, was the only son of, Captain John Burgoyne, a man of fashion, who died in the rules of the king's bench, and grandson of Sir John Burgoyne, bart., of Sutton Park, Bedfordshire. He was educated at Westminster School, where he made friends with Lord Strange, eldest son of the Earl...
Another 135 words (10 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Bergin Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Bergin Ranking

In the United States, the name Bergin is the 7,357th most popular surname with an estimated 4,974 people with that name. 8

United States Bergin migration to the United States +

To escape the political and religious persecution within England at the time, many English families left for the various British colonies abroad. The voyage was extremely difficult, though, and the cramped, dank ships caused many to arrive in the New World diseased and starving. But for those who made it, the trip was most often worth it. Many of the families who arrived went on to make valuable contributions to the emerging nations of Canada and the United States. An inquiry into the early roots of North American families reveals a number of immigrants bearing the name Bergin or a variant listed above:

Bergin Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Daniel Bergin, who landed in New York, NY in 1816 9
  • Andrews Bergin, who settled in New York in 1830

Canada Bergin migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Bergin Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century
  • Patrick Bergin, who arrived in Halifax, Nova Scotia in 1843
  • Mr. John Bergin, aged 2 who was emigrating through Grosse Isle Quarantine Station, Quebec aboard the ship "Columbia" departing 1st May 1847 from Sligo, Ireland; the ship arrived on 10th June 1847 but he died on board 10
  • Mr. Joseph Bergin, aged 6 who was emigrating through Grosse Isle Quarantine Station, Quebec aboard the ship "Abbotsford" departing 23rd April 1847 from Dublin, Ireland; the ship arrived on 21st June 1847 but he died on board 10

Australia Bergin migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Bergin Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
  • Miss Margaret Bergin, (b. 1793), aged 25, Irish servant who was convicted in Kilkenny, Ireland for 14 years for possession of forged bank notes, transported aboard the "Elizabeth" on 26th July 1818, arriving in New South Wales, Australia, she died in 1850 11
  • Mr. James Bergin, (b. 1816), aged 22, Irish blacksmith who was convicted in County Laois (Queen's County), Ireland for 7 years for assault, transported aboard the "Clyde" on 11th May 1838, arriving in New South Wales, Australia, he died in 1887 12
  • Mr. James Bergin, (b. 1793), aged 51, Irish ploughman who was convicted in County Laois (Queens County), Ireland for 7 years for coining, transported aboard the "Cadet" on 9th April 1844, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 13
  • Mr. William Bergin, (b. 1803), aged 41, Irish farmer who was convicted in County Laois (Queens County), Ireland for 7 years for coining, transported aboard the "Cadet" on 9th April 1844, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land), he died in 1850 13
  • Anastasia Bergin, aged 22, a dairy maid, who arrived in South Australia in 1855 aboard the ship "Europa" 14
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

New Zealand Bergin migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Bergin Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century
  • John Bergin, aged 23, a farm labourer, who arrived in Bluff, New Zealand aboard the ship "Adamant" in 1875 15
  • John Bergin, aged 19, a carpenter, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Salisbury" in 1876
  • Anne Bergin, aged 16, a servant, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "British Queen" in 1883 16
  • Sarah Bergin, aged 16, a servant, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "British Queen" in 1883 16

Contemporary Notables of the name Bergin (post 1700) +

  • Thomas D. Bergin, American politician, U.S. Vice Consul in Saint John's, 1929; Kingston, 1932 17
  • Thomas Goddard Bergin OBE (1904-1987), American scholar of Italian literature, a "noted particularly for his research on Dante's Divine Comedy and for its translation."
  • Michael John Bergin (b. 1969), American model and actor, born in Naugatuck, Connecticut
  • Major-General William Edward Bergin (1892-1978), American Adjutant-General, Deprtment of the Army (1951-1954) 18
  • Neil O. Bergin, American Republican politician, Candidate for New York State Assembly 13th District, 2000 17
  • John W. Bergin, American Republican politician, Delegate to New York State Constitutional Convention 42nd District, 1967 17
  • John J. Bergin, American Democratic Party politician, Candidate for Connecticut State House of Representatives from Prospect, 1946 17
  • Frank S. Bergin (b. 1888), American Democratic Party politician, Alternate Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Connecticut, 1924; Member of Connecticut State Senate 10th District, 1929-31 17
  • Edward Daniel Bergin Jr. (b. 1943), American Democratic Party politician, Mayor of Waterbury, Connecticut, 1976-85, 1992-95 17
  • Edward Daniel Bergin Sr. (d. 1971), American Democratic Party politician, Mayor of Waterbury, Connecticut, 1955-57, 1959-63, 1969-71 17
  • ... (Another 8 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
USS Arizona
  • Mr. Roger Joseph Bergin, Canadian Fireman Second Class from Saskatchewan, Canada working aboard the ship "USS Arizona" when she sunk during the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on 7th December 1941, he died in the sinking 19
  1. Harrison, Henry, Surnames of the United Kingdom: A Concise Etymological Dictionary Baltimore: Geneological Publishing Company, 2013. Print
  2. Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
  3. Arthur, William , An Etymological Dictionary of Family and Christian Names. London: 1857. Print
  4. Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
  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. Rye, Walter, A History of Norfolk. London: Elliot Stock, 62, Paternoster Row, 1885. Print
  7. Guppy, Henry Brougham, Homes of Family Names in Great Britain. 1890. Print.
  8. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  9. 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)
  10. Charbonneau, André, and Doris Drolet-Dubé. A Register of Deceased Persons at Sea and on Grosse Île in 1847. The Minister of Canadian Heritage, 1997. ISBN: 0-660-198/1-1997E (p. 65)
  11. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 3rd March 2022). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/elizabeth
  12. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 24th February 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/clyde
  13. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 17th November 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/cadet/
  14. South Australian Register Monday 14th May 1855. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) Europa 1855. Retrieved http://www.theshipslist.com/ships/australia/europa1855.shtml
  15. New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
  16. New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 12th November 2011). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
  17. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, November 4) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
  18. Generals of World War II. (Retrieved 2011, October 6) William Bergin. Retrieved from http://generals.dk/general/Bergin/William_Edward/USA.html
  19. Pearl Harbour: USS Arizona Casualties List Pearl Harbour December 7, 1941. (Retrieved 2018, July 31st). Retrieved from http://pearl-harbor.com/arizona/casualtylist.html
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