Bergen History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
The original Gaelic form of Bergen was Ó hAimheirgin. Aimhirgin means "wondrous birth." 1
Early Origins of the Bergen family
The surname Bergen was first found in County Offaly (Irish: Uíbh Fháilí) originally the Kingdom of Uí Failghe, located in central Ireland in the Province of Leinster.
Early History of the Bergen family
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Bergen research. Another 114 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1314 and 1655 are included under the topic Early Bergen History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Bergen Spelling Variations
Names during the Middle Ages were often recorded under several different spelling variations during the life of their bearers. Literacy was rare at that time and so how a person's name was recorded was decided by the individual scribe. Variations of the name Bergen include Bergin, Berrigan, Baragan, Bergan, Bergen, Mergin, O'Bergin, O'Bergyn, MacBergin and many more.
Early Notables of the Bergen family
Another 31 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Bergen Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Bergen Ranking
In the United States, the name Bergen is the 5,319th most popular surname with an estimated 4,974 people with that name. 2
Bergen migration to the United States +
In the late 18th century, Irish families began emigrating to North America in the search of a plot of land to call their own. This pattern of emigration grew steadily until the 1840s when the Great Potato Famine of the 1840s cause thousands of Irish to flee the death and disease that accompanied the disaster. Those that made it alive to the shores of the United States and British North America (later to become Canada) were, however, instrumental in the development of those two powerful nations. Many of these Irish immigrants proudly bore the name of Bergen:
Bergen Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
- Hans Hans Bergen, who landed in New Netherland(s) in 1620 3
- Martin Gerretsen Van Bergen, who landed in Albany, NY in 1630 3
- Hans Hansen Bergen, who arrived in New York in 1633 3
- Hans Hansen Van Bergen, who landed in New York, NY in 1633 3
- Breckje Hans Bergen, who arrived in New York, NY in 1661 3
Bergen Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
- Hans Bergen, who landed in New York in 1709 3
Bergen Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
- Joh V Bergen, who landed in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1804 3
- Andrew Bergen, aged 24, who arrived in New York in 1835 3
- Casper Bergen, aged 19, who arrived in New York, NY in 1847 3
- John Bergen, who arrived in Tippecanoe County, Ind in 1848 3
- Bridget Bergen, aged 16, who landed in New York in 1849 3
- ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Bergen Settlers in United States in the 20th Century
- Moses B Bergen, who landed in Mississippi in 1900 3
Bergen migration to Canada +
Some of the first settlers of this family name were:
Bergen Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century
- John Bergen who settled in St. John's Newfoundland and married in 1814 4
- Henry Bergen, who arrived in Manitoba in 1875
- Isaac Bergen, who landed in Manitoba in 1875
- Abram Bergen, who landed in Manitoba in 1875
- Cornelius Bergen, who landed in Manitoba in 1875
- ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Bergen migration to Australia +
Emigration to
Australia followed the
First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:
Bergen Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
- Honora Bergen, aged 24, a servant, who arrived in South Australia in 1855 aboard the ship "Sea Park"
- Mary Bergen, aged 18, a servant, who arrived in South Australia in 1855 aboard the ship "Royal Albert"
Bergen migration to New Zealand +
Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:
Bergen Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century
- Anne Bergen, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Stately" in 1851
- John Bergen, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Stately" in 1851
- Miss Anne Bergen, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Stately" arriving in Auckland, New Zealand on 1st June 1851 5
- Mr. John Bergen, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Stately" arriving in Auckland, New Zealand on 1st June 1851 5
Contemporary Notables of the name Bergen (post 1700) +
- Frances Bergen (1922-2006), born Frances Westerman, American actress and fashion model, wife of ventriloquist Edgar Bergen
- William Aloysius "Bill" Bergen (1878-1943), American Major League Baseball catcher who played from 1901 through 1911
- Robert "Bob" Bergen (b. 1964), American voice actor, current voice of Porky Pig
- William Benjamin Bergen, American aerospace engineer, who became President of Aerospace Operations in 1971
- Edgar Bergen (1903-1978), born Edgar John Bergren, American ventriloquist, actor and radio performer known for his double entendres with Charlie, his dummy and his fictional feuds with W.C. Fields, inducted into the Radio Hall of Fame, father of Candice Bergen
- Candice Patricia Bergen (b. 1946), American five-time Emmy Award, two-time Golden Globe winning American actress
- Polly Bergen (b. 1930), American Emmy Award-winning actress, singer, and entrepreneur
- Bruce H. Bergen, American Democratic Party politician, Candidate for U.S. Representative from New Jersey 7th District, 1990 6
- Alexander J. Bergen, American politician, Member of New York State Assembly from Suffolk County 2nd District, 1861 6
- A. Bergen, American politician, Member of Minnesota State Senate 14th District, 1869 6
- ... (Another 25 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Historic Events for the Bergen family +
Bismarck
- Walter von Bergen (1921-1941), German Matrosengefreiter who served aboard the German Battleship Bismarck during World War II when it was sunk heading to France; he died in the sinking 7
Citations +
- MacLysaght, Edward, The Surnames of Ireland. Ireland: Irish Academic Press, sixth edition, 1985. Print. (ISBN 0-7165-2366-3)
- "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
- 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)
- Seary E.R., Family Names of the Island of Newfoundland, Montreal: McGill's-Queen's Universtity Press 1998 ISBN 0-7735-1782-0
- New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 26th March 2019). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
- The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, November 4) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
- Bismarck & Tirpitz Class - Crew List Bismarck. (Retrieved 2018, February 06). Retrieved from https://www.bismarck-class.dk/bismarck/crew/bismarck_crew.html#crew_details