Berge History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

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The name Berge was first used by a family in the southwestern French region called Gascogne. It was a name for someone who lived near a rocky hill, deriving its origin from the Old French word berge, meaning rocky hill or mountain, and indicates that the original bearer of the name lived near such a landform.

Early Origins of the Berge family

The surname Berge was first found in Gascony (French: Gascogne), an area of southwest France bordering Spain, that was part of the "Province of Guyenne and Gascony" prior to the French Revolution, where the family held a family seat since ancient times.

Early History of the Berge family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Berge research. Another 76 words (5 lines of text) covering the years 1385, 1650 and 1810 are included under the topic Early Berge History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Berge Spelling Variations

There were a great number of spelling variations in French surnames. One reason for this was the wide variety of cultural influences present in France during the early development of the French language. The many spelling variations of the name include Laberge, La Berge, de Berge, de la Berge, Desberges, de Berghes and many more.

Early Notables of the Berge family

Notable amongst the family at this time was

François Berge, a colonel, who was registered under Napoleon, July 15, 1810

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. 1 However, in France, the name Berge is ranked the 1,390^th most popular surname with an estimated 4,124 people with that name. 2

Berge migration to the United States +

In the 1700s, land incentives were finally given out by France to 2,000 migrants. Early marriage was encouraged in New France, and youths of 18 took fourteen-year-old girls for their wives. The fur trade was developed and attracted migrants, both noble and commoner from France. 15,000 explorers left Montreal in the late 17th and 18th centuries, leaving French names scattered across the continent. The search for the Northwest passage continued. Migration from France to New France or Quebec, as it was now more popularly called, continued until 1759. By 1675, there were 7000 French in Quebec. By the same year the Acadian presence in Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island had reached 500. In the treaty of Utrecht, Acadia were ceded by France to Britain in 1713. In 1755, 10,000 French Acadians refused to take an oath of allegiance to England and were deported. They found refuge in Louisiana. Meanwhile, in Quebec, the French race flourished, founding in Lower Canada, one of the two great solitudes which became Canada. Many of this distinguished family name Berge were prominent in social, cultural, religious and political affairs in France and New France. Amongst the settlers in North America with this distinguished name Berge were

Berge Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Louis Berge, who landed in Louisiana in 1718 3
Louis Berge, who landed in Louisiana in 1719 3
Louis Berge, who arrived in Louisiana in 1719
Jacques Berge, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1754 3
Christ Berge, who arrived in Long Island in 1781 3

Berge Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Hermann Zum Berge, who arrived in Texas in 1846 aboard the ship "Creole" 3
Herman Zum Berge, who landed in Galveston, Tex in 1846 3
Thjosolf Berge, who arrived in Texas in 1846 3
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 3
... (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 4
Edward C. Berge, American politician, First Selectman of Westport, Connecticut, 1904 5
Douglas P. Berge, American Republican politician, Alternate Delegate to Republican National Convention from Rhode Island, 2012 5
Arthur T. Berge (b. 1907), American Republican politician, Member of New York State Assembly from Richmond County 1st District, 1945-48 5
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 6
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 +

"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