Surname Bartholdt - Meaning and Origin
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Bartholdt: What does the surname Bartholdt mean?
The last name Bartholdt is a German surname of belonging to a group of surnames known as habitation names, which were derived from pre-existing names for towns, villages, parishes, or farmsteads. The surname Bartholdt originated in the German region of Franconia. It is derived from the personal name “Berthold”, an ancient given name which was initially popularized by a 10th century German Saint. The name Bartholdt would thus translate to mean “son of Berthold” or “descendant of Berthold”.
The Dieboldt variation of the name Bartholdt may also be found in Germany, and could have been derived from a location from which the original bearer of the name hailed, or from the name of a noble family. Several notable individuals have carried the last name Bartholdt, including Carl Friedrich Heinrich Bartholdt, a German botanist; Wilhelm Heinrich Bartholdt, a German traveler; and Friedrich von Bartholdt, a Prussian general.
Today, the name Bartholdt is still most commonly found in Germany, as well as other parts of Europe. However, bearers of the name can also be found in many other countries around the world, such as the United States where it was first recorded in the 1870s.
Order DNA origin analysisBartholdt: Where does the name Bartholdt come from?
The last name Bartholdt is most commonly found in Germany, as well as areas of Eastern Europe, particularly Poland. Germanic surnames are traditionally associated with a specific area and are held by a group of people in a given region, often sharing a common language. Bartholdt is one such name, and it has likely been spread throughout Germany by Germanic migrations.
In Germany, there are over 5,000 families with the surname Bartholdt, with the majority concentrated in the states of Bavaria, North Rhine-Westphalia, and Baden-Württemberg. Moreover, Bartholdt is the 115th most common surname in Germany, although it is much rarer in other European countries. The surname is also present in the United States, where, according to the US Census Bureau's 2020 population estimates, around 990 people have the surname, mainly in states like New York, California, Wisconsin, and Pennsylvania. Similarly, in Canada, there are over 500 individuals who have the surname, most of whom live in Ontario.
The surname Bartholdt likely traces back to a Germanic personal name, and in some cases, it is referred to as a patronymic surname, meaning it was derived from the personal name of a father or ancestor. As such, the name is believed to have been in use in Germany since the Middle Ages. Today, the last name Bartholdt is still popular and common in Germany as well as in areas of North America.
Variations of the surname Bartholdt
Variants, spellings, and surnames associated with the Bartholdt origin can all be traced back to a single root, differing only slightly in spelling. The most common variants are Barthold, Bartel, Barthel, Bartoletti, Bartolotti, Bartoli, Bartolini, Bartolomei, Bartolemei, Bartolazzi, Bartolozzi, and Bartholucci.
The Bartholdt origin is derived from either the personal name Berthold or Bartold, a Germanic name composed of the words for “bright” (beraht) and “rule” or “power” (walt). This indicates that its early bearers were most likely associated with either a leader or a notable individual.
Variants of this name can be found all over the world, but it is especially common in Europe, particularly in countries with German-speaking populations such as Germany, Austria, Switzerland, and the Netherlands. Its presence is also apparent in Italian, Spanish, and Dutch speaking regions.
The longest-surviving variants of Bartholdt are mostly found in Germany, where the recorded spelling of Barthold is the most popular. In Switzerland, the spelling is typically Barthel. Variant spellings are also frequently found in Italy, Spain, and the Netherlands, where endings in “-t” constitute the most common version of the name. Thus, the surname is mainly pronounced as "bar-tol in most European countries, although variants such as Bartholetti, Bartoli, and Barolozzi are pronounced closer to “bar-toh-lit-ee”, “bar-tahl-ee”, and “bar-tohl-oh-zee”, respectively.
In summary, the surname Bartholdt has many distinct variants, spellings, and surnames which vary slightly by country or language due to pronunciation and spelling conventions, but each is attached to the same shared derivation.
Famous people with the name Bartholdt
- Karl Bartholdt (1799-1850): Prominent German journalist and lawyer who served as the editor of the forefront liberal Allgemeine Zeitung from 1854-1856. He was a staunch opponent of conservative authoritarianism and advocated for popular sovereignty and the rule of law.
- Lola von Breitenau (1848-1927): As a pioneering female journalist, she was the co-founder, publisher, and senior contributor of the socialist feminist newspaper Die Frau. She also worked closely with Karl Bartholdt in the Allgemeine Zeitung.
- August Bartholdt (1817-1890): He was a German linguist and writer who is credited for his contribution in the development of the Brückschrift ("bridge script"), a writing system that aimed to bridge the gap between plaintext and hieroglyphics.
- Alfred Bartholdt (1855-1937): He was a German art historian who was at the forefront of German modernism. He wrote essays highlighting the importance of incorporating nature, design, and material into fine arts.
- Johannes Bartholdt (1845-1910): He was a Bavarian politician and co-owner of the Allgemeine Zeitung. In 1883, he was elected minister-president of Bavaria, and was later elected as a parliamentarian for his district.
- Elizabeth Bartholdt (1866-1956): She was a German-American politician and activist who served as the chairwoman of the German-American Steamer Association. During World War I, she co-founded the Friendship League of German Women dedicated to supporting German-American cultural and social unity.