BARTA
Barta is a surname that can be found throughout Europe and in many parts of the world. It is especially common in countries with a substantial Central or Eastern European population, and it has also dispersed to the United States, Canada, Australia, Malaysia and the Philippines through immigration.
In the predominant Hungarian tradition, the name is a patronymic form of Bartholomew, rendered in Hungarian as Bartolomaeus. The original meaning derives from the Aramaic phrase bar‑Talmay – “son of Talmay” – where Talmay has been interpreted as “having many furrows” or simply “the furrows.” Consequently, the surname indicates that the first bearer was the son of a man named Bartolomaeus.
The etymology is also connected to an Old Slavic root, the word bart, meaning “hairy.” Some scholars therefore see the surname as a descriptive nickname for an individual noted for dense hair, or as a symbolic reference to strength and wealth.
Numerous orthographic variants exist because the name has been transcribed into many languages and orthographies over the centuries. In addition to Barta, common forms include Bart, Barto, Bartus, Bartice, Bartik, Bartok, Bartaš, Barthes and many others. These variants appear in medieval and early modern records from Hungary, Poland, Czech lands, Germany, England and even the United States.
The earliest known legal record of a Barta or a related form dates from the early thirteenth century. In 1273 a Robert Bartelmeu appears in the rolls of Huntingdonshire during the reign of King Edward the First. In England, other early witnesses include Walter Berthelmeu of London (1334) and Nicholas Bertelmev of Sussex (1296). The name also occurs in the Danelaw Charters of London (1199) as Bartholomeus Canonicus and in a Hamburg document (1274) as Wernus Bartholomei.
In modern demographics, the surname is most frequently encountered in Hungary—especially in the northern regions—where it is still borne by many families. It is also common in Slovakia, particularly in the capital Bratislava, and in Germany, especially in Bavaria and in areas that were once part of former Czechoslovakia. In the United States, the name is more prevalent in states such as Illinois, Pennsylvania and Ohio, which have large Hungarian and German‑American populations, as well as in North and South Dakota where Hungarian settlement has been significant.
Across all regions, the surname retains its traditional spelling in most contemporary family records, although genealogists and historians often encounter its many historical variants when tracing lineages back into the medieval period.
Typical given names associated with the Barta surname
Male
- Andras
- Artur
- Attila
- Handel
- Lubos
- Martin
- Michael
- Peter
- Philip
- Thomas
- Thoms
Female
- Barbara
- Emma
- Eva
- Judit
- Karolyn
- Katie
- Maria
- Pal
- Rosa
- Zita
Similar and related surnames
- Baart
- Baert
- Baird
- Bairet
- Barat
- Barata
- Barate
- Baratt
- Baratta
- Bardoe
- Baret
- Bareto
- Barett
- Baretta
- Barette
- Barot
- Barrat
- Barratt
- Barret
- Barrett
- Barretta
- Barretto
- Barrtt
- Bart
- Bartak
- Bartal
- Bartall
- Bartam
- Bartan
- Bartas
- Barte
- Barteau
- Bartee
- Barter
- Barth
- Bartha
- Barti
- Bartie
- Bartl
- Bartle
- Barto
- Barts
- Bartt
- Barttam
- Bartte
- Bartu
- Barty
- Bartz
- Baruta
- Batra
- Beart
- Bert
- Berta
- Berte
- Bertea
- Bertei
- Birdi
- Birt
- Birta
- Boart
- Boreta
- Bort
- Borta
- Brade
- Bradie
- Brata
- Bratt
- Brett
- Brito
- Brodie
- Burt
- Burta
- Burtea
- Burtt
- Byrd
Related and similar names are generated algorithmically based on the spelling, and may not necessarily share an etymology.
How to communicate the surname Barta in...
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Morse
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There are approximately 82 people named Barta in the UK. That makes it one of Britain's least common surnames. Only around one in a million people in Britain are named Barta.
Region of origin: Europe
Country of origin: Poland
Language of origin: Polish
