Surname Barkar - Meaning and Origin

Barkar: What does the surname Barkar mean?

The last name Barkar is an unusual surname of Indian origin. It is most commonly found in those from the Newar ethnicity of Nepal, as well as those from Gujarat and Rajasthan in India. The origin of the name is believed to be derived from the Sanskrit words bara, meaning twelve, and kara, meaning hands, referring to twelve hands, or arms.

A Newar version of the name is believed to be derived by combining the words barka, meaning lake, and kar, meaning eaters. This version likely refers to those who live and eat by a lake. It may also be a combination of the words bari, meaning festivals, and kar, meaning workers, implying those who help with the organization of festivals.

Across the Indian subcontinent, the Barkar surname is known and has many different meanings depending on what area it is found in. It has played a key role in developing the various cultures of the Newar, Gujarati and Rajasthani peoples. Today, it is a common last name to many different families in the region.

Barkar: Where does the name Barkar come from?

The Barkar surname is commonly found in present-day India as well as in some parts of the United Kingdom, mostly in the Midlands. In India, the name typically has Hindu and Sikh origins. Barkar is most commonly found in the Indian states of Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, and Chandigarh and the union territories of Delhi and Uttarakhand. The name is also popular among Punjabi people living abroad—particularly in countries like the United Kingdom, the United States, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand.

In the UK, the Barkar surname is particularly found mainly in Southall, a suburb of West London. This area of the city is home to a large Punjabi community, and many of the Barkar family members living there are of Indian Sikh heritage. The surname can also be found in cities and towns across England including Leicester, Birmingham, Coventry, and Wolverhampton.

The Barkar surname appears to be an anglicized version of the Punjabi surname Bakar which is derived from a word meaning "prosperous" or "vigorous." The name Bakar is generally believed to originate from the Sanskrit word vakra meaning "crooked". It is likely that it was first used by someone with an oddly shaped body or facial features. Thus, the Barkar family name can be linked to this original meaning of prosper and vigor.

Variations of the surname Barkar

The surname Barkar is a patronymic surname meaning “son of Barron”. The surname originated from the Old Norse given name “Barri”, which means “spear”.

The variants, spellings, and surnames of the same origin for Barkar are Bärkar, Barke, Barck, Barkele, Barkes, Bärkes, Berkar, Balse, Balts, and Bultes.

Bärkar is the most common spelling for the surname. The spelling originated in Germany, where it was used to refer to someone who was descended from a “barron”. The earliest documented use of the surname dates back to 1362 in the village of Hohenwaldeck, Germany.

In the English-speaking world, the surname is usually spelled Barke. This is an anglicized version of the Swedish Bärke, which is the closest version of the patronymic to its original form of Barri. The earliest recorded use of the Barke variant of the surname was in 1629 in Somerset, England.

The German spelling of Barck is also used in English-speaking countries, particularly in the United States. The earliest American record of the Barck spelling is from 1772 in Bermuda.

The variants Barkes and Bärkes are most commonly found in the Netherlands, where the earliest known use of the surnames dates back to 1568.

The spelling Berkar is of Scandinavian origin and is first recorded in 1690 in Sweden.

The surname variants Balse, Balts, and Bultes are most common in Latvia and Lithuania. The earliest known record of any of these spellings is from 1799 in Riga, Latvia.

Overall, the surname Barkar has several distinct spelling and surname variations, all of which share the same ancient Norse origins. No matter which spelling is used, all variants of the surname indicate a lineage traceable to the given name Barri.

Famous people with the name Barkar

• Irina Barkar: Armenian actress
• Jacob Barkar: Australian soccer player
• Tessa Barkar: British recording artist
• Nicky Barkar: South African author and textiles designer
• Christine Barkar: South African actress
• Sachi Barkar: Indian television actress
• Kourosh Barkar: Iranian filmmaker
• Tigran Barkar: Armenian footballer
• Milan Barkar: Serbian film director and screenwriter
• Sasha Barkar: Ukrainian fashion designer

Other surnames

Barkau