Bernes History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Germany
Scotland

Early Origins of the Bernes family

The surname Bernes was first found in Berne, Switzerland, where the family is considered to have made a great early contribution to the feudal society which became the backbone of early development of Europe. Founded by Duke Berthold V of Zaehringen (in the Black Forest) in 1191, Berne became a Free City in 1218. Against the invading armies of Rudolph of Habsburg, Berne successfully defended itself and joined the Swiss Confederation in 1353. Berne retains its mediaeval character to this day, and has been the capital of Switzerland since 1848. The majority of its inhabitants speak German and are Protestants, a religious heritage left over from the time of the Reformation. The name comes from the German "Baeren" (bears) and a bear still appears on the city's coat of arms. Other branches bearing this name stemmed from the town Berna in Lusatia. The first individual bearers of this name to be mentioned in ancient chronicles include Bernerus miles de Wil, who was born in Zuerich in 1259.

Early History of the Bernes family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Bernes research. Another 320 words (23 lines of text) covering the years 1371, 1400, 1590, 1636, 1683 and 1778 are included under the topic Early Bernes History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Bernes Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Bern, Berne, Bernn, Bernne, Berns, Bernes, Bernert, Baern, Boern and many more.

Early Notables of the Bernes family

Another 49 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Bernes Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Bernes migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Bernes Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Benjamin Bernes, who landed in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1876 1

Citations +

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)