Van Bergen History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Netherlands
Germany

The ancient German region of the Rhineland, gave birth to the family name of Van Bergen. At first, people used only a single name, but as the population grew and people began to travel, they began to find it necessary to take on an additional name to differentiate themselves. Fairly general principles guided the development of hereditary surnames in the Rhineland. Among the most common forms of surname found in the Rhineland are those that are derived from nicknames. Nickname surnames were derived from an "eke-name" or added name. They usually reflected the physical characteristics or attributes of the first person that used the name. The name was derived from the German word "burc," which means a "fortified town." The surname Van Bergen was a name for a person who lived in a town.

Early Origins of the Van Bergen family

The surname Van Bergen was first found in the Rhineland, where this family name became a prominent contributor to the development of the district from ancient times. Always prominent in social affairs, the name became an integral part of that turbulent region as it emerged to form alliances with other families within the Feudal System and the nation.

Early History of the Van Bergen family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Van Bergen research. Another 144 words (10 lines of text) covering the years 1100, 1540, 1550, 1556, 1573, 1579, 1589, 1599, 1716, 1763, 1765, 1834 and 1842 are included under the topic Early Van Bergen History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Van Bergen Spelling Variations

One can encounter great variation in the spelling of surnames: in early times, spelling in general, and thus the spelling of names was not yet standardized; and later, spellings would change with branching and movement of families. Variations of the name Van Bergen include Berg, Bergh, Berghe, Bergg, Berge, Bergge, Burg, Burgh and many more.

Early Notables of the Van Bergen family

Notables with the name Van Bergen during this period were Adam Berg, a renowned music printer of Munich, whose publications extend from 1540 to about 1599. His great work was the 'Patrocinium musices,' published under the patronage of the Dukes of Bavaria, the first volume of which appeared in 1573. After the death of Duke Albrecht V, in 1579, the publication was interrupted, and not resumed till 1589, when the second series appeared, also containing five volumes. 1 George Berg, a German by birth, was a pupil of Dr. Pepusch. In 1763 he gained the first prize medal awarded by...
Another 97 words (7 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Van Bergen Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Van Bergen Ranking

In Netherlands, the name Van Bergen is the 308^th most popular surname with an estimated 4,888 people with that name. 2

Van Bergen migration to the United States +

Hundreds of thousands of Europeans, including many Rhinelanders, made the voyage to North America between the 17th and 20th centuries. It was an escape from religious persecution and poverty and also an opportunity for people to start over and own their own land. Most landed at Ellis Island, off New York before moving on to the states of Pennsylvania, Ohio, Texas, Illinois, and California. Some also landed in Canada and settled in Ontario, while others headed west to the prairie provinces. A study of passenger and immigration lists has shown a number of people bearing the name of Van Bergen, or one of its variants, reaching North America shores very early:

Van Bergen Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Martin Gerrittsen VanBergen, who landed in New York in 1630 3
Hans Hansen VanBergen, who arrived in New York in 1633 3
Marten Gerritsen VanBergen, who arrived in New York in 1660 3
Andries Pietersen VanBergen, who landed in New York in 1663 3

Van Bergen Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Hans Peter VanBergen, who landed in New York in 1709 3

Citations +

Grove, Sir George, A Dictionary of Music and Musicians (AD. 1450-1889) London: Macmillan1902, Print, 2 Vols
"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)