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The name Byrt arrived in England after the Norman Conquest of 1066. The name Byrt comes from the Norman personal name and was originally spelled Berte. That name is derived from the word berht, which means light. Hence the name could have been a nickname for someone who was "bright, clear or splendid" having derived from the Anglo Saxon word "beorht." 1
The surname Byrt was first found in Norfolk where Thomas de Burt and Hamo Burt were first listed there in the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273. The same rolls also listed Ralph Burte in Leicestershire and Roger Burt in Oxfordshire. 2
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Byrt research. Another 169 words (12 lines of text) covering the years 1066 and 1273 are included under the topic Early Byrt History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Endless spelling variations are a prevailing characteristic of Norman surnames. Old and Middle English lacked any definite spelling rules, and the introduction of Norman French added an unfamiliar ingredient to the English linguistic stew. French and Latin, the languages of the court, also influenced spellings. Finally, Medieval scribes generally spelled words according to how they sounded, so one person was often referred to by different spellings in different documents. The name has been spelled Burt, Burte, Birt, Burts, Berte, Burte, Birte and many more.
More information is included under the topic Early Byrt Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.