Berge History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Netherlands-Alt
Netherlands
England
France
Germany

The ancient name of Berge finds its origins with the ancient Anglo-Saxon culture of Britain. It comes from a name for a barge-man. Three of the earliest instances of the name were royal bargemen for King Edward III, who reigned from 1327 to 1377. One of these three people's name explicitly indicates the occupational nature of the name Petrus del Barge. A modern transliteration of his name would be Peter of the Barge. 1

Early Origins of the Berge family

The surname Berge was first found in county Worcestershire, where Robert de le Bergh was recorded in 1221. 2 Later in Yorkshire, we found Patricius Bargeman listed in the Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379. 1

Early History of the Berge family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Berge research. Another 116 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1359, 1379, 1579, 1666 and 1749 are included under the topic Early Berge History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Berge Spelling Variations

Sound was what guided spelling in the essentially pre-literate Middle Ages, so one person's name was often recorded under several variations during a single lifetime. Also, before the advent of the printing press and the first dictionaries, the English language was not standardized. Therefore, spelling variations were common, even among the names of the most literate people. Known variations of the Berge family name include Bargery, Bargerey, Barge, Bargeman, Bargman, Bargh, Berge and many more.

Early Notables of the Berge family

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

Berge Ranking

In the United States, the name Berge is the 14,690^th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 3 However, in France, the name Berge is ranked the 1,390^th most popular surname with an estimated 4,124 people with that name. 4

Berge migration to the United States +

For political, religious, and economic reasons, thousands of English families boarded ships for Ireland, the Canadas, the America colonies, and many of smaller tropical colonies in the hope of finding better lives abroad. Although the passage on the cramped, dank ships caused many to arrive in the New World diseased and starving, those families that survived the trip often went on to make valuable contributions to those new societies to which they arrived. Early immigrants bearing the Berge surname or a spelling variation of the name include :

Berge Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Louis Berge, who landed in Louisiana in 1718 5
Louis Berge, who landed in Louisiana in 1719 5
Louis Berge, who arrived in Louisiana in 1719
Jacques Berge, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1754 5
Christ Berge, who arrived in Long Island in 1781 5

Berge Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Hermann Zum Berge, who arrived in Texas in 1846 aboard the ship "Creole" 5
Herman Zum Berge, who landed in Galveston, Tex in 1846 5
Thjosolf Berge, who arrived in Texas in 1846 5
Mrs. Sophie Berge, (nee Sturm), German who arrived in Galveston, Texas in 1846 aboard the ship "Creole"
Jacob Berge, aged 23, who landed in Baltimore, Maryland in 1847 5
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Berge migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Berge Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century

Robert de La Berge, who settled in New France, at the age of 20. He spent most of his life in Ange Gardien, near the city of Quebec, where he established himself as a manufacturer and vendor of lime. He died in 1712 leaving behind him numerous and illustrious descendants throughout French Canada

Contemporary Notables of the name Berge (post 1700) +

Edward Henry Berge (1876-1924), American sculptor
Truman Berge, American officer in the air force in Virginia
Louis P. Van Den Berge, American Republican politician, Candidate in primary for Michigan State House of Representatives from Ottawa County, 1959 6
Edward C. Berge, American politician, First Selectman of Westport, Connecticut, 1904 7
Douglas P. Berge, American Republican politician, Alternate Delegate to Republican National Convention from Rhode Island, 2012 7
Arthur T. Berge (b. 1907), American Republican politician, Member of New York State Assembly from Richmond County 1st District, 1945-48 7
Alain Bergé (1946-2024), known as Alain Dorval, a French voice actor
Pierre Bergé (1930-2017), French industrialist and patron, co-founder of the fashion label Yves Saint Laurent
François Berge, French Brigadier General during the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars from 1789 to 1815 8
Syver Berge (b. 1939), Norwegian politician for the Centre Party
... (Another 6 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Citations +

Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
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)
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2016, February 2) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, November 4) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
Generals Who Served in the French Army during the Period 1789-1815. (Retrieved 2015, February 11) François Berge. Retrieved from http://www.napoleon-series.org/research/c_frenchgenerals.html