BARTH
Barth is a surname that appears in England, Scotland and across Europe, and is predominantly of Germanic origin. It is historically a patronymic name, indicating descent from an ancestor who bore the personal name Bartholomew, a name of Aramaic derivation that appears in the New Testament.
The name Bartholomew comes from the Aramaic Bar‑Talmay, meaning son of Talmay
. The Hebrew element Talmay translates as abounding in furrows
or ploughman
. Consequently the surname Barth has been interpreted as son of Talmay
or son of the ploughman
.
In medieval England the surname appears in a variety of spellings, including Barth, Bar, Barts, Berth, Berthe, Birth, Borthe, Burth and Byrth. The earliest recorded instance is believed to be in the assize rolls of Lancashire, dated 1246, under the name Advard Bart, during the reign of King Henry III.
Later medieval probate and parish registers contain further examples. In 1420 William Barte is recorded in the London city rolls; in 1598 George Byrth married Rebecca Paggitt at St Nicholas Church, Deptford, Kent; in 1617 Frances Burth married Thomas Hogg at St Margarets, Westminster; and in 1689 Martha Birth married Richard Knight at St Mary Le Bone, London.
Beyond the patronymic sense, some scholars have identified a topographic origin for Barth, derived from the German barth meaning bearded
, possibly referring to a man who sported a beard. Others argue for a habitational source: individuals who lived in or near places named Barth or Bar in Germany or Scandinavia. A further occupational interpretation proposes that the name may be linked to a berther, a person responsible for securing moorings for boats.
The surname is most common in Germany today, particularly in the south, though it is also found in France, the United States and Canada. In the United Kingdom it remains far less frequent, yet the various historical spellings attest to a longstanding presence. Notable bearers of the name include the German theologian Karl Barth and the French comedian Patrick Barth, whose prominence has helped to preserve the name in public life.
Variations of the surname are numerous: Barte, Barthe, Bart, Bartel, Bartelson, Bartmann, Barthes, Barth-Luther and the Dutch or German pre‑fixed forms Von Barth and Van Barth. These forms illustrate the linguistic evolution of the name as it passed through different regions and languages.
Typical given names associated with the Barth surname
Male
- Alan
- Christian
- Daniel
- Gary
- James
- Michael
- Nicholas
- Richard
- Robert
- Stephen
- Thomas
Female
- Eleanor
- Francesca
- Ines
- Jennifer
- Jenny
- Julia
- Katrin
- Lauren
- Louise
- Lydia
- Margaret
- Maria
- Mary
- Nicola
- Sarah
Similar and related surnames
- Barter
- Barath
- Baert
- Barat
- Baart
- Brath
- Bart
- Barta
- Bartha
- Barthe
- Bartho
- Bairathi
- Bairet
- Barate
- Barathi
- Baratt
- Baret
- Bareto
- Barett
- Barette
- Baroth
- Barrat
- Barrath
- Barret
- Barreth
- Barrith
- Barrtt
- Barte
- Bartee
- Bartes
- Bartey
- Bartham
- Barthee
- Barthel
- Barthen
- Barther
- Barthes
- Barthet
- Barthey
- Barthle
- Barthod
- Barthop
- Barths
- Barthus
- Barthy
- Barti
- Bartie
- Barto
- Bartow
- Barts
- Bartt
- Bartte
- Bartu
- Barty
- Bartz
- Baruth
- Bauth
- Bayworth
- Beart
- Berreth
- Bert
- Berth
- Bertha
- Berthe
- Bertho
- Berthou
- Berthy
- Bharth
- Biroth
- Birt
- Boart
- Boorth
- Bort
- Borth
- Braith
- Breathe
- Breeth
- Breith
- Breth
- Brith
- Broth
- Brothie
- Brouth
- Burt
- Burth
- Burths
- Byrth
- Birth
Related and similar names are generated algorithmically based on the spelling, and may not necessarily share an etymology.
How to communicate the surname Barth in...
Braille
⠃⠁⠗⠞⠓
Morse
-....-.-.-....
Semaphore
There are approximately 303 people named Barth in the UK. That makes it one of Britain's least common surnames. Only around five in a million people in Britain are named Barth.
Surname type: Location or geographical feature
Origin: English
Region of origin: British Isles
Country of origin: England
Religion of origin: Christian
Language of origin: English
Famous people named Barth
- Jacob William Barth - (1871 to 1941)
Names and descriptions courtesy of Wikipedia, and may contain errors. This is not intended to be an exhaustive list of every famous person with this name.