Berger History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
Early Origins of the Berger family
The surname Berger was first found in the northern provinces which would later form Prussia, where the name came from humble beginnings but gained a significant reputation for its contribution to the emerging mediaeval society. It later became more prominent as many branches of the same house acquired distant estates, some in foreign countries, always elevating their social status by their great contributions to society.
Early History of the Berger family
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Berger research. Another 118 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1584, 1608, 1656, 1777, 1804 and 1838 are included under the topic Early Berger History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Berger 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 Berger include Berger, Bergher, Bergger, Burger, Burgher and others.
Early Notables of the Berger family
Notable figures of the time with the name Berger were
- Andreas Berger (1584-1656), a German composer whose works featured in the collection of J. S. Bach, the son-in-law of the English emigre musician William Brade
- Ludwig Berger was a remarkable pianoforte-player and gifted composer, born at Berlin April 18, 1777, and died there Feb. 16, 1838. His talent showed itself early, but received its great impulse from t...
Berger World Ranking
In the United States, the name Berger is the 881st most popular surname with an estimated 34,818 people with that name. 1 However, in Canada, the name Berger is ranked the 983rd most popular surname with an estimated 5,510 people with that name. 2 And in Quebec, Canada, the name Berger is the 766th popular surname. 3 France ranks Berger as 115th with 25,157 people. 4 Netherlands ranks Berger as 686th with 2,719 people. 5
Berger migration to the United States +
Much of German history has been shaped by the state of Prussia. It was an enduring military power until after the Second World War. At that time, the state was abolished altogether and its land divided between the Soviet Union, Poland, East Germany and West Germany. While some Prussians were content to remain in those countries, others moved away, many of them migrating to North America. They entered the United States mostly through Philadelphia, moving on to Ohio, Texas, Illinois, California, New York, and Maryland. Others went to Canada, settling on the prairies and in the province of Ontario. Among those of this surname listed in various historical records were:
Berger Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
- Kornelis Reusner Berger, who landed in New York in 1709 6
- Hans Berger, who arrived in America in 1732 6
- Johannes Berger, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1738 6
- Casper Berger, age 30, who arrived in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1738
- Peter Berger, age 50, who arrived in Philadelphia in 1740
- ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Berger Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
- Benedict Berger, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1803 6
- Barbara Berger, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1803 6
- Anna Maria Berger, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1803 6
- Elizabeth Berger, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1803 6
- Michel Berger, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1803 6
- ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Berger Settlers in United States in the 20th Century
- Mr. John S. Berger, (b. 1876), aged 29, Cornish miner, from Camborne, Cornwall, UK travelling aboard the ship "Umbria" arriving at Ellis Island, New York on 30th July 1905 en route to the United States 7
- Harry Berger, who landed in Alabama in 1917 6
- Karl Frederick Albert Berger, who landed in Alabama in 1917 6
Berger migration to Canada +
Some of the first settlers of this family name were:
Berger Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century
- Jacob Berger, who landed in Nova Scotia in 1749
- Philip Berger, who landed in Nova Scotia in 1757
Berger migration to Australia +
Emigration to
Australia followed the
First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:
Berger Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
- Charles W. Berger, aged 30, a farmer, who arrived in South Australia in 1848 aboard the ship "Alfred" 8
- George Berger, aged 40, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Prince Regent" in 1849 9
- Mary Berger, aged 38, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Prince Regent" in 1849 9
- Augustus Berger, aged 6, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Prince Regent" in 1849 9
- Edwin Berger, aged 3, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Prince Regent" in 1849 9
- ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Contemporary Notables of the name Berger (post 1700) +
- Norma A. Berger Taylor (1932-2023), American baseball pitcher who played in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League during the 1950 season
- Wolfgang "Wolf" Helmut Berger (1937-2017), German-American oceanographer, geologist, micropaleontologist and emeritus professor at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California
- Barbara Berger (1930-2016), American baseball catcher who played in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League
- Samuel Richard "Sandy" Berger (1945-2015), American political consultant, United States National Security Advisor (1997-2001)
- Samuel Berger (1884-1925), American gold Olympic medalist for boxing at the 1904 games
- Peter Ludwig Berger (b. 1929), American (Austrian born) sociologist and theologian
- Thomas Berger (b. 1924), American novelist, best known for his novels "Crazy in Berlin" (1958) and "Little Big Man" (1964)
- Charles W. Berger, American Democratic Party politician, Member of Kentucky State Senate 17th District, 1980- 10
- Charles E. Berger, American Republican politician, Delegate to Republican National Convention from Pennsylvania, 1916 10
- Carl Berger, American Democratic Party politician, Candidate for New York State Senate 2nd District, 1920 10
- ... (Another 54 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Historic Events for the Berger family +
Bismarck
- Walter Berger (1920-1941), 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 11
- Johannes Berger (1921-1941), German Funkgefreiter who served aboard the German Battleship Bismarck during World War II when it was sunk heading to France; he died in the sinking 11
- Albert Berger (1921-1941), German Matrose who served aboard the German Battleship Bismarck during World War II when it was sunk heading to France; he died in the sinking 11
Triangle Waist Company
- Mrs. Yetta Berger (b. 1893), "nee Rechtschafer", Austrian Jewish garment worker who was working at Triangle Waist Company factory at the Asch building in Greenwich Village on the 25th March 1911 when fire broke out; she died in the fire 12
Suggested Readings for the name Berger +
- The Genealogical Tree of Charles Berger by Ruth Berger Blake and Mary Blake Dvorak.
Citations +
- "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
- "Surnames Meanings, Origins & Distribution Maps - Forebears." Forebears, https://forebears.io/surnames
- "The first 1,000 family names by rank, Quebec (in French only)" Institut de la statistique du Quebec, https://statistique.quebec.ca/en/document/family-names-in-quebec/tableau/the-first-1000-family-names-by-rank-quebec
- http://www.journaldesfemmes.com/nom-de-famille/nom/
- "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)
- Cornwall Online Parish Clerks. (Retreived 3rd May 2018). Retrieved from http://www.opc-cornwall.org/Resc/pdfs/emigration_ellis_island_1892_on.pdf
- State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) ALFRED 1848. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1848Alfred.htm
- State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) "PRINCE REGENT" 1849. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1849PrinceRegent.htm
- 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
- Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire (retrieved on 3rd August 2021.) Retrieved from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Triangle_Shirtwaist_Factory_fire