BARTHOLOMEW
The surname Bartholomew is a patronymic name of Hebrew and Aramaic origin. It derives from the personal name bar‑Talmay, which means “son of Talmay”, and the element Talmay itself translates as “furrow”. Consequently, the name is associated with the expanse of cultivated land and with the notion of a prosperous landowner.
In the Christian tradition the name is carried by St. Bartholomew, one of the twelve apostles of Jesus Christ. His association with the church rendered the name popular across Europe, especially in the British Isles, where the surname was adopted in the late Middle Ages and became fully hereditary by the thirteenth century.
The earliest recorded use of the name in England appears in the Danelaw Charters of London when a cleric was noted as “Bartholomeus Canonicus” in the year 1199. Subsequent census records show the surname appearing in Sussex in 1296 as “Nicholas Bertelmev” and in London in 1334 as “Walter Berthelmeu”. Such documents demonstrate that England was one of the first jurisdictions to record hereditary surnames in an official capacity and to preserve them for posterity.
Over the centuries the spelling of the surname has been highly variable. The range of forms documented in archival sources is extensive, including examples such as Bart, Barta, Bartomieu, Bertome, Bartos, Berthelemot, and Bartholin. By the early twentieth century more than two hundred distinct spellings have been identified in the historical record.
In contemporary usage the surname is no longer confined to those with direct ancestral ties to agricultural occupation or to the biblical apostle. It is borne by individuals across various professions and social strata, and its bearers are typically found throughout the United Kingdom and in diaspora communities worldwide.
Typical given names associated with the Bartholomew surname
Male
- David
- Ian
- James
- John
- Michael
- Paul
- Peter
- Richard
- Simon
- Stephen
- William
Female
- Anne
- Catherine
- Christine
- Claire
- Elizabeth
- Emma
- Jane
- Joanne
- Margaret
- Mary
- Patricia
- Sarah
- Susan
Similar and related surnames
- Batt
- Battie
- Battey
- Batty
- Bateson
- Bate
- Bates
- Bartlett
- Barthelemy
- Bartie
- Battson
- Batkin
- Batts
- Batson
- Batey
- Bartle
- Barthlomew
- Barthalomew
- Bartholamew
- Barthelomew
- Bartholome
- Bartholemew
- Bartholme
- Bartholmew
- Bartholomae
- Bartholomaei
- Bartholomaeus
- Bartholoman
- Bartholomay
- Bartholomen
- Bartholomer
- Bartholomeusz
- Bartholomey
- Bartholomy
- Bartholow
- Bartholowmew
- Barthomew
- Bartolome
- Bartolomei
- Bartolomeu
- Bartolomew
- Bortholomew
- Burtholme
- Barthold
- Bartholemy
- Bartholet
- Bartholomeou
- Bartholomeuz
- Bartolomeo
- Bartolomy
Related and similar names are generated algorithmically based on the spelling, and may not necessarily share an etymology.
How to communicate the surname Bartholomew in...
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There are approximately 5,020 people named Bartholomew in the UK. That makes it roughly the 1,881st most common surname in Britain. Around 77 in a million people in Britain are named Bartholomew.
Surname type: From given name or forename
Origin: English
Region of origin: British Isles
Country of origin: England
Religion of origin: Christian
Language of origin: English
Famous people named Bartholomew
- John Eric Bartholomew - Comedian (1926 to 1984)
- Freddie Bartholomew - -American child actor (1924 to 1992)
- Ian Bartholomew - Actor
- John Christopher Bartholomew - Cartographer and geographer (1923 to 2008)
- D. J. Bartholomew - Statistician (1931 to 2017)
- John George Bartholomew - Cartographer (1860 to 1920)
- Ian Bartholomew - Cricketer
- Amos Bartholomew - Cricketer (1825 to 1907)
- Jack Bartholomew - Rugby league player (1888 to 1)
- Arthur Wollaston Bartholomew - Cricketer (1878 to 1945)
- Allen Bartholomew - (1925 to 2004)
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.