Show ContentsBarenger History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Etymology of Barenger

What does the name Barenger mean?

The ancient Anglo-Saxon surname Barenger came from the German name Beringar which meant "bear-spear." The name was "one of the paladins in the Charlemagne romances and fairly common in England in the 12th and 13th centuries." 1

Early Origins of the Barenger family

The surname Barenger was first found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where the Latin form Berengerus was recorded in Norfolk. 2 Later in Lincolnshire, Robertus filius Berengarii was listed c. 1150 and in Bedfordshire, the singular name Bengerus was found in the Curia Regis Rolls of 1203. The first record in Dorset was that of Belinar in 1207. Early Yorkshire records show Berenger faber in the Assize Rolls for 1219. Walter Beneger was found in Gloucestershire in 1208 and Reginald Beringer was listed at Lewes, Cambridgeshire c. 1260. John Belinger was listed in the Subsidy Rolls for Worcestershire in 1275. 1

Early History of the Barenger family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Barenger research. Another 257 words (18 lines of text) covering the years 1086, 1150, 1271, 1273, 1275, 1500, 1694, 1780 and 1831 are included under the topic Early Barenger History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Barenger Spelling Variations

The English language only became standardized in the last few centuries; therefore,spelling variations are common among early Anglo-Saxon names. As the form of the English language changed, even the spelling of literate people's names evolved. Barenger has been recorded under many different variations, including Berringer, Berenger, Baringer, Beringar, Berengerus, Berengarus, Berengarii, Beringer, Belinger, Bellinger, Bellenger, Beranger and many more.

Early Notables of the Barenger family

  • James Barenger (1780-1831), a painter whose works were displayed at the Royal Academy in the 19th century


Barenger migration to the United States +

For many English families, the political and religious disarray that shrouded England made the far away New World an attractive prospect. On cramped disease-ridden ships, thousands migrated to those British colonies that would eventually become Canada and the United States. Those hardy settlers that survived the journey often went on to make important contributions to the emerging nations in which they landed. Analysis of immigration records indicates that some of the first North American immigrants bore the name Barenger or a variant listed above:

Barenger Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
  • Richard Barenger, who arrived in South Carolina in 1671 3


  1. Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
  2. Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
  3. 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)


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