Berte History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Italy
Ireland

The ancestors of the Berte family migrated to England following the Norman Conquest of 1066. The surname Berte is based on the Norman personal name and was originally spelled Berte. That name is derived from the word berht, which means light. Hence the name could have been a nickname for someone who was "bright, clear or splendid" having derived from the Anglo Saxon word "beorht." 1

Early Origins of the Berte family

The surname Berte was first found in Norfolk where Thomas de Burt and Hamo Burt were first listed there in the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273. The same rolls also listed Ralph Burte in Leicestershire and Roger Burt in Oxfordshire. 2

Early History of the Berte family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Berte research. Another 169 words (12 lines of text) covering the years 1066 and 1273 are included under the topic Early Berte History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Berte Spelling Variations

Before English spelling was standardized a few hundred years ago, spelling variations of names were a common occurrence. Elements of Latin, Norman French and other languages became incorporated into English throughout the Middle Ages, and name spellings changed even among the literate. The variations of the surname Berte include Burt, Burte, Birt, Burts, Berte, Burte, Birte and many more.

Early Notables of the Berte family

More information is included under the topic Early Berte Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Berte Ranking

In France, the name Berte is the 6,352^nd most popular surname with an estimated 1,000 - 1,500 people with that name. 3

Migration of the Berte family to Ireland

Some of the Berte family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt. More information about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Berte migration to the United States +

In England at this time, the uncertainty of the political and religious environment of the time caused many families to board ships for distant British colonies in the hopes of finding land and opportunity, and escaping persecution. The voyages were expensive, crowded, and difficult, though, and many arrived in North America sick, starved, and destitute. Those who did make it, however, were greeted with greater opportunities and freedoms that they could have experienced at home. Many of those families went on to make important contributions to the young nations in which they settled. Early immigration records have shown some of the first Bertes to arrive on North American shores:

Berte Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Paul Berte, who landed in Maryland in 1666 4

Citations +

Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
http://www.journaldesfemmes.com/nom-de-famille/nom/
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)