Show ContentsBerranger History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Etymology of Berranger

What does the name Berranger mean?

The ancient Anglo-Saxon surname Berranger 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 Berranger family

The surname Berranger 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 Berranger family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Berranger 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 Berranger History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Berranger Spelling Variations

Sound was what guided spelling in the essentially pre-literate Middle Ages, so one person's name was often recorded under several variations during a single lifetime. Also, before the advent of the printing press and the first dictionaries, the English language was not standardized. Therefore, spelling variations were common, even among the names of the most literate people. Known variations of the Berranger family name include Berringer, Berenger, Baringer, Beringar, Berengerus, Berengarus, Berengarii, Beringer, Belinger, Bellinger, Bellenger, Beranger and many more.

Early Notables of the Berranger family

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

Migration of the Berranger family

For political, religious, and economic reasons, thousands of English families boarded ships for Ireland, the Canadas, the America colonies, and many of smaller tropical colonies in the hope of finding better lives abroad. Although the passage on the cramped, dank ships caused many to arrive in the New World diseased and starving, those families that survived the trip often went on to make valuable contributions to those new societies to which they arrived. Early immigrants bearing the Berranger surname or a spelling variation of the name include : Peter Berringer who arrived in Philadelphia in 1751.



  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)


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