Where did the name Berger come from? What is their coat of arms? When did the Berger family first arrive in the United States? Where did the various branches of the family go? What is the history of the family name?

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Berger Coat of Arms and Name History

Berger

Origin Displayed: Dutch

Origins Available: Dutch-Alt, Dutch, English, French, German, Jewish

Spelling variations of this family name include: Berger, Bergen, Berg, Van Berg, Van Berger, Van Bergen, Van den Berger, Van den Berg, Van der Berg, Van den Bergh and many more.

First found in Holland, where it is thought to have existed since the 15th century.

Some of the first settlers of this family name or some of its variants were: Cornelius Vandeberg, who arrived in New York in 1710; J. G. VanDenBerg, who arrived in Philadelphia in 1807 with his four children; Nathan Soloman Vandenberg, who arrived at the port of New Orleans in 1820.

Suggested Readings for the name Berger
"The Genealogical Tree of Charles Berger" by Ruth Berger Blake and Mary Blake Dvorak.

Some noteworthy people of the name Berger

Thomas Berger (b. 1924), American novelist, best known for his novels "Crazy in Berlin" (1958) and "Little Big Man" (1964)
Peter Ludwig Berger (b. 1929), American (Austrian born) sociologist and theologian
Samuel R "Sandy" Berger (b. 1945), American lawyer and politician, US National Security Advisor under President Bill Clinton
Erna Berger (1900-1990), German soprano singer
John Berger (b. 1926), influential art critic and novelist
Gaston Berger (1896-1960), French philosopher and psychologist
Gerhard Berger (b. 1959), Austrian F1 driver
Hans Berger (1873-1941), German psychiatrist
John Peter Berger (b. 1926), English novelist

Tell Me More About Coat of Arms

View Armorial History with Coat of Arms Guided Tour
Bibliography - References used for our surname histories
View sample history for: Donovan, Gauthier, Kowalski, MacGregor, Perelli, Schmidt
Coats of Arms: History
Coats of Arms: the Heraldic Artist
Coats of Arms: Timeline
Coats of Arms: Elements
Family Crests and Genealogy: how they relate

Learn More About Dutch Surnames

NETHERLANDS: EARLY ORIGINS

The early history of the Netherlands was fraught with conflict. In the 1st century, the original inhabitants of this area, who were primarily Celts and Frisians, came under the control of the Roman Empire. By the 5th century, the Franks had forced the Romans to withdraw, and they dominated this region until the end of the 8th century. In the 11th century, the area that is now the Netherlands, came under the power of the Holy Roman Empire. It was divided up into fiefs, and parcelled out to various dukes. In 1477, these fiefs came into the possession of the Hapsburgs.