Bermes History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Ireland
Scotland

Etymology of Bermes

What does the name Bermes mean?

The Strathclyde clans of the Scottish/English Borderlands were the first people to use the name Bermes. It is derived from the personal name Burnhouse, derived from the words burn, meaning "stream," and house, meaning a house.

Early Origins of the Bermes family

The surname Bermes was first found in Cumberland, where they held a family seat from very ancient times, some say well before the Norman Conquest and the arrival of Duke William at Hastings in 1066 A.D.

Early History of the Bermes family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Bermes research. Another 138 words (10 lines of text) covering the years 1296, 1495 and 1560 are included under the topic Early Bermes History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Bermes Spelling Variations

Spelling and translation were hardly exact sciences in Medieval Scotland. Sound, rather than any set of rules, was the basis for spellings, so one name was often spelled different ways even within a single document. Spelling variations are thus an extremely common occurrence in Medieval Scottish names. Bermes has been spelled Burness, Burnes, Burnace, Burnice, Burnhouse, Burnshead, Burnish, Burnist, Bernis and many more.

Early Notables of the Bermes family

More information is included under the topic Early Bermes Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Bermes family to Ireland

Some of the Bermes family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt. More information about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Bermes migration to the United States +

Such hard times forced many to leave their homeland in search of opportunity across the Atlantic. Many of these families settled along the east coast of North America in communities that would become the backbones of the young nations of the United States and Canada. The ancestors of many of these families have rediscovered their roots in the 20th century through the establishment of Clan societies and other patriotic Scottish organizations. Among them:

Bermes Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Johannes Bermes, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1743 1

The Bermes Motto +

The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.

Motto: Perseverantia vincit
Motto Translation: Perseverance conquers

Sources +

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)