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The Barthels surname comes from the Germanic personal name Bertwald, composed of the elements "berht," meaning "bright," and "wald," meaning "rule."
The surname Barthels was first found in Bavaria, where the name could be considered to make a great early contribution to the feudal society which became the backbone of early development of Europe. The name became prominent in local affairs and branched into many houses which played important roles in the savage tribal and national conflicts, each group seeking power and status in an ever changing territorial profile. The name is associated with the famous Saint Bartholomaeus (St. Bartholomew,) who was one of the Apostles.
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Barthels research. Another 104 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1585, 1625, 1672, 1707, 1776, 1789, 1806, 1815 and 1831 are included under the topic Early Barthels History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
In the medieval era, many different cultural groups lived in the German states. There are thus many regional variations of German surnames from that era. Westphalians spoke Low German, which is similar to modern Dutch. Many German names carry suffixes that identify where they came from. Others have phrases attached that identify something about the original bearer. Other variations in German names resulted from the fact that medieval scribes worked without the aid of any spelling rules. The spelling variations of the name Barthels include Barthels, Bartel, Bartels, Bartl, Bartelemaeus, Bartholomaus, Bartelme, Barthelme, Barthelmes and many more.
Prominent among members of the name Barthels in this period include Johann and Peter Barthelme of Schweidnitz who were raised to nobility in 1585; and Melchior Barthel (1625-1672), a German sculptor from Dresden.
Johann Christian Barthel, born at Plauen 1776, was a musician from a very early age, in 1789 and played at the house of Doles before Mozart, who praised him highly, and soon after entered...
Another 65 words (5 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Barthels Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
The great European flow of migration to North America, which began in the middle of the 17th century and continued into the 20th century, was particularly attractive to those from Bavaria who wished to escape either poverty or religious persecution. For many Bavarian tenant farmers, the chance to own their own land was a major incentive. So the widespread colonization of the United States began in 1650, when many immigrants from Germany settled in pockets in Pennsylvania, Texas, New York, Illinois, and California. In Canada, German settlement centered in Ontario and the prairie provinces. Among those of this surname listed in various historical records were: