Bergsma History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Netherlands-Alt
Netherlands
Germany

The surname Bergsma comes from the Old High German word "berg," which means "mountain." The first bearers of the name no doubt came from a mountain or high ground. The name is often found with the preposition "Van den," which mean "from the." In a low-lying, flat country like the Netherlands any area of higher ground was quite prestigious and as such, this was a popular and prestigious surname.

Early Origins of the Bergsma family

The surname Bergsma was first found in Holland, where it is thought to have existed since the 15th century.

Early History of the Bergsma family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Bergsma research. Another 27 words (2 lines of text) covering the years 1664, 1709, 1748, 1755, 1799 and 1873 are included under the topic Early Bergsma History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Bergsma Spelling Variations

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.

Early Notables of the Bergsma family

From this era of Dutch history, those of this who distinguished themselves included the counts Van den Berghs, beginning in the 16th century; Johan van den Bergh (1664-1755), mayor of the...
Another 30 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Bergsma Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Bergsma Ranking

In Netherlands, the name Bergsma is the 239^th most popular surname with an estimated 5,494 people with that name. 1

Bergsma migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Bergsma Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Douwe Douwes Bergsma, aged 37, who arrived in New York, NY in 1847 2
Jelle Bergsma, who landed in Iowa in 1849 2
Ulke Bergsma, who landed in New Orleans, La in 1853 2
H. C. Bergsma, who settled in Indiana in 1861
Klaas Bergsma, who arrived in 1871

Contemporary Notables of the name Bergsma (post 1700) +

Michael Bergsma, American Republican politician, Delegate to Republican National Convention from Texas, 2008, 2012 3

Citations +

"Most Common Last Names in Netherlands." Forebears, https://forebears.io/netherlands/surnames
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 2015, November 4) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html