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Austrian surnames are a reflection of the country's rich cultural heritage and stunning landscapes. Many Austrian surnames denote the profession, social status, and place of habitation of a person or family. The surname Berg is derived from the German word for mountain and is often used as a toponym for someone living on or near a mountain. In Austria, the surname Berg is one of the top ten most common surnames, with about 20,000 people bearing the name. It is also a common surname in Germany, where it is the fifth most common surname. The name is also found in Scandinavian countries, where it was likely adopted from the influx of German migrants in the 16th and 17th centuries, and in North America, with President Franklin Roosevelt being one such example.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Surname Origin | German, Dutch, Norwegian, Swedish, Danish, Yiddish, Latin |
| Meaning | Mountain, Hill |
| Surname Distribution | United States, Germany, Sweden, Austria, Canada, United States Virgin Islands, United Arab Emirates, Bosnia and Herzegovina |
| Religious Adherence | Orthodox, Jewish |
| Frequency | 201,618 people bear this surname |
| Variants | Van Berg, Vanberg, Vonberg, Von Bergh, Von Burg, Van den Berg, Vanbergen, Vonburgh, Von Berch, Vonburgh, Von Bergen, Van Berg, Van der Berg, Van den Berg, Vanbergen, Von-berg, Von-burg, Vonberger, Vonbergman, etc. |
What You'll Learn
What does 'Berg' mean?
The surname Berg is a Germanic name that means "hill" or "mountain". It is derived from the Middle High German word "berg", which also means "hill" or "mountain". The name is common in central and eastern Europe and is also found in Scandinavian countries, where it is used as a locational name for someone who lived by a farmstead. In Olde English, the word was spelled "beorg".
In German, the surname Berg is an aristocratic name that translates to "from the mountain". It is thought that the name was originally adopted by families living in high places or near mountains, likely in the region of Bavaria, which is known for its mountain ranges. The name was common among noble families in the Middle Ages and has since become a general surname found worldwide.
As an Austrian surname, Berg can be a toponym referring to a person living on a mountain or hill. It is one of the top ten most typical surnames in the country, with about 20,000 people holding the name. The name is derived from German and Austrian noble families and often signifies nobility separate from land or title.
The surname Berg has many variations, including Van Berg, Vanberg, Vonberg, Von Bergh, and Von Burg. It is also common in Jewish families, often spelled as "Vonberg" with variations such as Vonbergman, Vonberger, and Vonbergen. The name is dense in Wisconsin, Minnesota, and North Dakota due to the settlement of German and Scandinavian immigrants in the nineteenth century.
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Where does the surname 'Berg' originate?
The surname Berg has two origin theories. Firstly, it is a topographic surname for someone who lived by a hill or mountain, deriving from the Middle High German word "berc" or Old High German word "burg". The modern German word "berg" means mountain. The Lower German variant is "barg". Secondly, in Scandinavia, it is a locational name for someone who lived by a farmstead, deriving from the Old Norse word "bjarg", meaning hill or mountain.
The name is also common in the Netherlands, where it is theorised that those living on higher land near mountains or hills were of a higher social class. The name is further seen in Norwegian, Icelandic, Danish, and Swedish last names, where it means "stronghold", "castle", or "fortification".
The name is also the first part of various German last names, including Berghammer, Bergler, Bergner, and Beringer. In Holland, the name is often spelled "Van Berg", "Van der Berg", or "Van den Berg", with the suffixes meaning "of the".
The surname Berg is most commonly found in Germany and Austria today. In Germany, it is the fifth most common surname as of 2020, with nearly 3.4 million people carrying the name. In Austria, it is one of the top ten most typical surnames, with about 20,000 people holding the surnames von Berg or von Berger.
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What are some notable people with the surname 'Berg'?
Berg is a surname of North-European origin, meaning "mount", "mountain", or "cliff" in several Germanic languages. It is most common in the United States, Germany, and Sweden. Here are some notable people with the surname Berg:
Arts and Entertainment
- A. Scott Berg, American biographer and Pulitzer Prize winner
- Adam Berg, Swedish music video director
- Alec Berg, American television writer
- Bengt Berg, Swedish poet and politician
- Bolette Berg, Norwegian photographer
- Bryan Berg, professional cardstacker
- Carol Berg, American fantasy writer
- Dave Berg, American cartoonist for MAD
- Dick Berg, American screenwriter and producer
- Elizabeth Berg, American novelist
- Gertrude Berg, American radio and television actress
- Gretchen J. Berg, American television producer
- Gunnar Berg, Swiss-born Danish composer
- Guri Berg, Norwegian sculptor
- John Berg, American actor and art director
- Lene Berg, Norwegian film director
- Mary Berg, Canadian chef and television personality
- Nancy Berg, American model and actress
- Peter Berg, American actor, film director, producer, and writer
Sports
- Aki-Petteri Berg, Finnish ice hockey player
- Allen Berg, Canadian racing driver
- Andrea Berg, German volleyball player
- Bill Berg, Canadian ice hockey player
- Dave Berg, retired Major League Baseball player
- Esmé Emmanuel Berg, South African tennis player
- Grégoire Berg, French footballer
- Haley Lanier Berg, American soccer player
- Henning Berg, Norwegian football player
- Herbert Berg, bobsledder
- Jan Berg, Norwegian footballer
- Justin Berg, Major League Baseball player
- Lindsey Berg, American volleyball player
- Marcus Berg, Swedish football player
- Moe Berg, American baseball player and spy
- Odd Berg, Norwegian football player and cyclist
- Otto Berg, Norwegian long jumper
- Patrick Berg, Norwegian footballer
- Patty Berg, American golfer
- Per Berg, Danish curler
- Rainer Berg, French footballer
- Viktor Berg, Canadian squash player
- Wilma van den Berg, Dutch sprinter
Other Notable People
- Alban Berg, Austrian composer
- Alan Berg, American talk radio host
- Andrea Berg, German singer
- Axel Berg, German politician
- Bill Berg, Royal Canadian Mounted policeman
- Bob Berg, American jazz saxophonist
- Bruno II von Berg, Archbishop of Cologne
- Carlos Berg, Latvian-born Argentine naturalist and entomologist
- Charles A. Berg, American farmer and politician
- Christine Berg, American radiation oncologist and physician-scientist
- Cia Berg, Swedish singer and television presenter
- Cy Berg, vaudeville performer
- Delmer Berg, American member of the Abraham Lincoln Brigade during the Spanish Civil War and labor union activist
- Else Berg, Dutch painter
- Emil Berg, Swedish singer
- Espen Berg, Norwegian jazz pianist and composer
- Eivinn Berg, Norwegian diplomat and politician
- Friedrich Wilhelm Rembert von Berg, Russian statesman and military figure
- Gabriele Berg, German biologist and ecologist
- Gordon Berg, American farmer and politician
- Gunnar Berg, Liberal Party politician
- Gunner Berg, Norwegian priest, writer, and politician
- Harry Berg, American politician and educator
- Herbert Berg, religious studies professor at the University of North Carolina
- Jeremy M. Berg, director of the National Institute of General Medical Sciences
- Joakim Berg, lead singer of the Swedish band Kent
- John Berg, American Catholic cleric
- Jónína Kristín Berg, Icelandic neopagan leader, art teacher, and aromatherapist
- Julius S. Berg, New York politician
- Kim Berg, Finnish politician
- Lev Berg, biologist and geographer
- Lillie Berg, American musician and music educator
- Max Berg, German architect and urban planner
- Michael Berg,
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What are some variations of the surname 'Berg'?
The surname Berg has many variations, with the name appearing in different forms across the world. The name is derived from the German word for 'mountain' and is often used as a locational surname for someone who lived on or by a mountain or hill. It can also be a habitational name for someone who lived on a farmstead.
In German, the name is spelled 'Berger', and it is common throughout central and eastern Europe. In Scandinavia, the name is often associated with people who lived near a farmstead, deriving from the Old Norse word 'bjarg', meaning hill or mountain. The Dutch form of the name is often 'Van Berg', 'Vanbergen', or 'Van Den Berg', with the prefix 'Van' meaning 'of the'.
Some common variations of the surname include:
- Van Berg
- Vanberg
- Vonberg
- Von Bergh
- Von Burg
- Van Den Berg
- Vonbergen
- Von Burgh
- Von Berch
- Vonburgh
- Von Bergen
- Vonbergman
- Vonberger
The name is also found in other languages, with variations including:
- Berghammer
- Bergler
- Bergner
- Bergstrasser
- Beringer
- Van Den Berg
- Van Der Berg
- Van Den Berg
The name is also found in other languages and has been Anglicized in some cases, such as with Jewish families, where it is often spelled 'Vonberg', with variations including 'Vonbergman', 'Vonberger', and 'Vonbergen'.
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How common is the surname 'Berg' in Austria?
The surname Berg is quite common in Austria. It is a German and Scandinavian name that means "hill" or "mountain". It is a topographic name for someone who lived near a hill or mountain, derived from the Middle High German word "berc" or Old High German word "burg". The modern German word for "mountain" is "berg". The name is common among Jewish families and is often spelled "Vonberg" or "Van Berg".
In Austria, the name is one of the top ten most typical surnames, with about 20,000 people holding the surnames "Von Berg" or "Von Berger". It is also the fifth most common surname in Germany as of 2020, with nearly 3.4 million people carrying the name. The name is also very common in Norway (11th), Sweden (18th), Denmark (68th), and the Netherlands (112th).
The name is derived from German and Austrian noble families and originally described people who lived in the hills or mountains. It is symbolic of the requested permission for people to say they are "von Berg", such as royalty, nobility, or knights permitted by the state to use the name. The fact that many people were "von Berg" signified that they were noble, a status that was inherited separately from land or title.
The name is also found in Scandinavian countries like Sweden and Norway, likely due to the influx of German migrants in the 16th and 17th centuries. It is also a common name in the United States, where it ranks 637th in terms of popularity, with dense populations in Wisconsin, Minnesota, and North Dakota due to German and Scandinavian immigration in the 19th century.
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Frequently asked questions
Some Austrian surnames containing "berg" include Bergmann, Steinberg, and Goldberg.
Austrian surnames containing "berg" often originate from geographical features, with "berg" meaning "mountain" or "hill" in German. These surnames typically indicate that the person lived near or worked in mountainous areas.
Variations of Austrian surnames containing "berg" include Berger, Bergstrom, and Bergman.
Yes, notable individuals with Austrian surnames containing "berg" include Alban Berg, an Austrian composer, and Ingrid Bergman, a Swedish actress known for her roles in classic films such as "Casablanca."
