Surname Birs - Meaning and Origin
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Birs: What does the surname Birs mean?
The last name Birs likely originates from an Anglicised version of the Italian surname ‘de Borsa’, which itself was derived from the city of Bursa, Turkey. Bursa was an important trading city during the medieval period. It is possible that individuals from Bursa adopted the surname de Borsa in order to identify themselves as natives of the city.
The surname Birs may be an Anglicised version of a German variant of de Borsa such as ‘Börsinger’ or ‘von Börsinger’. This is because the Anglicisation of names often occurred due to poor spelling or pronouncing during the immigration process, as well as difficulty with language translation. It was quite common for individuals of different cultural backgrounds to Anglicise their names upon arrival in the UK or United States.
The spelling of ‘Birs’ may also have been influenced by a process known as ‘folk etymology’, where the English pronunciation of a name is substituted for the original language spelling in order to make it sound more ‘English’. This could explain why the spelling of ‘de Borsa’ changed to ‘Birs’.
Overall, the surname Birs most likely originates from the Italian surname ‘de Borsa’, which was derived from the city of Bursa in Turkey. The most likely explanation for the spelling change to Birs is a combination of poor pronunciation, language translation difficulties, and the likely process of folk etymology.
Order DNA origin analysisBirs: Where does the name Birs come from?
The last name Birs is most pervasive today in the Middle Eastern countries of Syria, Lebanon, and Israel. It is thought to have originated in what is now modern-day Syria, though other theories suggest it may have migrated there more recently, perhaps from other nearby countries. In these countries, the origin of the name is derived from the local language, with its literal meaning often being associated with “traders” or “merchants.”
The last name Birs is also quite common in other parts of the world, particularly Europe. It is especially common in Finland, where it appears to originate from a place with the same name. In Hungary, it is thought to be derived from the word “Birs” which could have originally meant “soil” or “ground.”
In the United States, the last name Birs appears to be less common than in other parts of the world. However, there are some instances of it being found in various parts of the country, particularly on the East Coast and in Texas.
Finally, in the United Kingdom, Birs appears to be most commonly found in the city of London, as well as in other parts of the country, such as Manchester and Leeds. It is thought to have originated with immigrants from Middle Eastern countries, such as those mentioned above.
Overall, the last name Birs is most common today in the Middle Eastern countries of Syria, Lebanon, and Israel. However, it can also be found in other parts of the world, including the United States, Europe, and the United Kingdom.
Variations of the surname Birs
The surname Birs is of German and Jewish origin and is a variant and spelling of the surname Bers. The toponymic German origin indicates that the surname is derived from the Old High German ‘berah’, meaning ‘clan’ or ‘community’. The Jewish origin indicates that Birs is derived from the Hebrew ‘bar-El’ which was a term used to refer to a lay leader of a synagogue.
Variants of Birs include Biers, Byers, Byrce, Bayrs, Bears, Biersch, Biersdorfer, Bierstorfer, Bars, Barsch, and Birzvise.
Less common alternative spellings of Birs include Birce, Byers, Byrce, Byars, Baurs, Bairs, Biers, Bieres, Bieresch, Bees, Beirz, Burez, Beirce, Byersch, Beirst, and Bierstorf.
Variants, spellings and surnames of the same origin but with slightly different spellings include Bierawski, Byrse, Biersk, Byrzesczynski, Beerse, Biaresch, Birdz, Bistorf, Birst, Berse, Brez, Byresch, Biersack, Birse, Birschel, Bierczinski, Beirsack, Boers, Bursch, Bersnick, Bersezweski, Bersch, Bergse, and Birschke.
Famous people with the name Birs
- British baritone, director and administrator Richard Birs
- French music composer and lyricist James Birs
- German footballer Jannick Birs
- British saxophonist Phil Birse
- French chef, restaurateur and vintner Pierre Birse
- American sommelier and wine educator Brooke Birs
- American comedy writer, actor, director and podcast host Jordan Birs
- German singer Thomas Birs
- American professional league soccer player Mark Birse
- Canadian professional basketball player Tyler Birss