Show ContentsBartl History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Etymology of Bartl

What does the name Bartl mean?

The Bartl surname comes from the Germanic personal name Bertwald, composed of the elements "berht," meaning "bright," and "wald," meaning "rule."

Early Origins of the Bartl family

The surname Bartl was first found in Bavaria, where the name could be considered to make a great early contribution to the feudal society which became the backbone of early development of Europe. The name became prominent in local affairs and branched into many houses which played important roles in the savage tribal and national conflicts, each group seeking power and status in an ever changing territorial profile. The name is associated with the famous Saint Bartholomaeus (St. Bartholomew,) who was one of the Apostles.

Early History of the Bartl family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Bartl research. Another 104 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1585, 1625, 1672, 1707, 1776, 1789, 1806, 1815 and 1831 are included under the topic Early Bartl History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Bartl 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 Bartl include Barthels, Bartel, Bartels, Bartl, Bartelemaeus, Bartholomaus, Bartelme, Barthelme, Barthelmes and many more.

Early Notables of the Bartl family

Prominent among members of the name Bartl in this period include Johann and Peter Barthelme of Schweidnitz who were raised to nobility in 1585; and Melchior Barthel (1625-1672), a German sculptor from Dresden.Johann Christian Barthel, born at Plauen 1776, was a musician from a very early age, in 1789 and played at the house of Doles before Mozart, who praised him highly, and soon after entered...
Another 65 words (5 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Bartl Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


Bartl migration to the United States +

Thousands of German settlers came to North America between the mid-17th and mid-20th centuries. The hardships of the long voyage were balanced by the opportunity to escape poverty and religious persecution. The descendents of these settlers still populate the states of Pennsylvania, Texas, New York, Illinois, and California. Many also live in Ontario and the prairie provinces of Canada. An inquiry into the early roots of North American families has revealed a number of immigrants bearing the name Bartl or a variant listed above:

Bartl Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Barbara Bartl, who arrived in America in 1848 1
  • Matthias Bartl, who landed in North America in 1852 1


  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)


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