Show ContentsBarthol History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Etymology of Barthol

What does the name Barthol mean?

The German state of Prussia, which reached the zenith of its power in the late 19th century, is the glorious birthplace of the distinguished surname Barthol. In the medieval era, after the fall of the Roman Empire, the German lands were inhabited by a variety of Barbarian tribes. The borders of the Barbarian kingdoms changed frequently, but the region that became known as Prussia was roughly divided between the areas of Brandenburg-Prussia, West Prussia, and East Prussia. The colorful history of East Prussia, which was located on the southern shore of the Baltic Sea and was bordered by Poland and Lithuania, provides a backdrop to the oldest origins of the Barthol family. The origin of the name is Berthold, the "e" later changing to "a" under the influence of the northern dialects.

Early Origins of the Barthol family

The surname Barthol was first found in the lands that would later form Prussia, where one of the first records of the name was Bertulf (or Bartholf or Barthold) who died in 883, and was the Archbishop of Trier from 869 until his death.

Early History of the Barthol family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Barthol research. Another 133 words (10 lines of text) covering the years 1701, 1712 and 1804 are included under the topic Early Barthol History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Barthol Spelling Variations

Many cultural groups lived in the German states in medieval times. Each had its own dialect and traditions, and unique variations of popular names. Low German, which is similar to contemporary Dutch, was spoken in Westphalia. German names are characterized by additions such as regional suffixes and phrases that tell something about the origin or background of its original bearer. Further contributing to the variation in German names was the fact that there were no spelling rules in medieval times: scribes recorded names according to their sound. The recorded spelling variations of Barthol include Barthold, Bartholde,Bartholdi, Barthold, Bartholdt, Bartoldi, Berthold, Bartholdy, Bartholdi, Bartholdie, Bartoldy, Bartholdy, Bartolo, Bartheld and many more.

Early Notables of the Barthol family

Notable figures of the time with the name Barthol were

  • Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy, the great composer, grandson of the philosopher Moses Mendelssohn, whose father Abraham took on the eminent surname Bartholdy when he became Protestant Christian


Barthol migration to the United States +

Prussia played an extremely influential role in shaping modern German history. It remained a part of Germany until after the Second World War. Prussia was divided among the Soviet Union, Poland, East Germany and West Germany. Many Prussians became residents of these new countries after the War, and many migrated to other parts of Germany or Europe, as well as to North America. In the United States, the majority of settlers landed in Philadelphia, and moved on to Ohio, Texas, Illinois, California, New York, and Maryland. Many German settlers also migrated to Canada, particularly to Ontario and the Prairies. Amongst the settlers in North America with this distinguished name Barthol were

Barthol Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • Sebastian Barthol, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1748 1
Barthol Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Mrs. Otto Barthol, aged 49, who settled in America, in 1895
  • Otto Barthol, aged 50, who immigrated to the United States, in 1895
Barthol Settlers in United States in the 20th Century
  • Johann Barthol, aged 36, who immigrated to the United States, in 1922
  • Frank Barthol, aged 29, who landed in America, in 1923

Barthol migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Barthol Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century
  • Mr. Hiepart Barthol U.E. who settled in Home District, [Niagara], Lincoln County, Ontario c. 1783 2

Contemporary Notables of the name Barthol (post 1700) +

  • Bruce Barthol (1947-2023), American bass player, original bass player with Country Joe and the Fish


  1. 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)
  2. Rubincam, Milton. The Old United Empire Loyalists List. Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc, 1976. (Originally published as; United Empire Loyalists. The Centennial of the Settlement of Upper Canada. Rose Publishing Company, 1885.) ISBN 0-8063-0331-X


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