UK surname
A variant of the German name Barthel, derived from the personal name Bartholomew.
The strongest historical links point to Wraxhall, North, Bibury and Chinnock, East. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include No data.
Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Barthell is 116 in 1861. Compared with 1881, the name has changed.
1881 census count
-
Modern count
1
2016, ranked #39,061
Peak year
1861
116 bearers
Map years
1
1861 to 1861
Key insights
Map
Back to topThe map shows where the Barthell surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.
Distribution map
Barthell surname density by area, 1861 census.
Timeline
Back to topThe table below tracks recorded surname counts and rank from the 19th-century census years through the modern adult-register period.
| Year | Period | Count | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1851 | historical | 10 | #31,497 |
| 1861 | historical | 116 | #18,751 |
| 1891 | historical | 27 | #32,115 |
| 1901 | historical | 8 | #33,289 |
| 1911 | historical | 2 | #34,020 |
| 2006 | modern | 1 | #38,879 |
| 2007 | modern | 1 | #38,907 |
| 2008 | modern | 1 | #38,949 |
| 2009 | modern | 1 | #38,998 |
| 2010 | modern | 1 | #39,020 |
| 2011 | modern | 1 | #39,015 |
| 2012 | modern | 1 | #38,986 |
| 2013 | modern | 1 | #39,008 |
| 2014 | modern | 1 | #39,020 |
| 2015 | modern | 1 | #39,021 |
| 2016 | modern | 1 | #39,061 |
Geography
Back to topHistorical parish links are strongest around Wraxhall, North, Bibury, Chinnock, East, Alternon and Tiverton. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.
The modern local-area list points to No data. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.
| Rank | Parish | Area |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wraxhall, North | Wiltshire |
| 2 | Bibury | Gloucestershire |
| 3 | Chinnock, East | Somerset |
| 4 | Alternon | Cornwall |
| 5 | Tiverton | Devon |
| Rank | Area | District |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | No data | No data |
Forenames
Back to topThese lists show first names that appear often with the Barthell surname in historical and recent records.
Recent female names
Recent male names
Modern profile
Back to topModern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Barthell, this points to the kinds of places where the surname is most concentrated today.
These neighbourhood labels describe areas, not individual people. They are useful because surnames often cluster through family history, migration, housing patterns and local work. A surname can be strongest in one type of neighbourhood even when people with that name live across the country.
The UK classification gives the national picture. The London classification is more specific to the capital, where housing, age profile, tenure and population mix can look quite different from the rest of the UK.
UK neighbourhood type
Supergroup
No data
Group
No data
Nationally, the Barthell surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as No data, within No data. This does not mean every Barthell household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.
London neighbourhood type
Supergroup
No data
Group
No data
Within London, Barthell is most associated with areas classed as No data, part of No data. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.
Broadband speed
The modern neighbourhood pattern for Barthell is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of No data.
Area snapshot
This describes the area pattern most associated with Barthell, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.
Origin
Back to topThe surname Barthell is believed to have originated in Germany, likely emerging during the medieval period around the 12th or 13th century. It is thought to be derived from the Germanic personal name Bartholomew, which in turn comes from the Aramaic phrase "bar Tolmai" meaning "son of the furrows." This suggests that the name may have initially referred to someone who worked in agriculture or lived near plowed fields.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in a German church register from the city of Cologne, dated around 1290, which mentions a "Johannes Barthell." Another early record is from a land deed in the town of Rothenburg ob der Tauber in 1348, where a "Hans Barthell" is listed as a witness.
In the 15th century, the name appears in various forms such as "Bartell," "Bartel," and "Bartelle" in various regions of Germany, including Bavaria, Saxony, and the Rhineland. This variation in spelling was common in the Middle Ages due to the lack of standardized spelling conventions.
One notable historical figure with the surname Barthell was Johann Barthell, a German theologian and philosopher who lived from 1625 to 1683. He was a prominent figure in the Lutheran church and served as a professor at the University of Leipzig.
Another individual of note was Wilhelm Barthell, a German painter and engraver who lived from 1766 to 1823. He was known for his landscapes and portraits, and some of his works can be found in museums across Germany.
In the 19th century, the name Barthell can be found in various records from the United States, suggesting that some individuals with this surname had emigrated from Germany to America during this time period.
One such example is Jacob Barthell, who was born in Germany in 1822 and later immigrated to the United States, settling in Pennsylvania. He worked as a farmer and is listed in the 1870 U.S. Census.
Another notable figure was Carl Barthell, a German-American artist who lived from 1856 to 1925. He was known for his landscape paintings and was active in the art community of Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
Additionally, there was a German-American family by the name of Barthell who owned a successful brewery in St. Louis, Missouri, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The brewery was established by Frederick Barthell, who was born in Germany in 1832 and later immigrated to the United States.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
FAQ
The latest modern count shown here is 1 in 2016. That gives Barthell a modern rank of #39,061.
A variant of the German name Barthel, derived from the personal name Bartholomew.
The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Barthell bearers relative to the surrounding population.
The historical counts come from census surname records. The modern counts and neighbourhood summaries come from later surname distribution records. Counts are recorded bearers in those records, not a live estimate of everyone with the name today.