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The Berlin surname first began to be used in the German state of Bavaria, some time after the 12th century, when hereditary surnames were adopted according to fairly general rules, and names that were derived from locations became particularly common. The family name Berlin is a local surname. Originally denoting the proprietorship of an estate or influence within a village, the German preposition von, which means from or of, used with local names, was taken as a mark of aristocracy. The surname Berlin was given to someone who lived in the city of Berlin, the capital of Germany. The city took its name from a Wendish word which means river rake, or a scaffold of beams built over a river to prevent logs from jamming; the river in question was the Spree. The German name is also found in the Hamburg area, where it may be derived from the village of the same name. Berlin is also an Ashkenazic Jewish local name, derived from the same origins as the German form of the local name. The Berlin family emerged as an influential family and they became noted for their involvement in social, economic and political affairs.
The surname Berlin was first found in Nuremburg, where the name Berlin was closely identified in early mediaeval times with the feudal society of early European history. The name would later emerge as a noble family with great influence, having many distinguished branches, and become noted for its involvement in social, economic and political affairs.
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Berlin research. Another 54 words (4 lines of text) covering the years 1725 and 1799 are included under the topic Early Berlin History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
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 Berlin include Berlin, Berliner, Berling, Berlen, Burlin, Burling, Barlin, Barling and many more.
Prominent among members of the name Berlin in this period include
In the United States, the name Berlin is the 4,100th most popular surname with an estimated 7,461 people with that name. 1
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: