NameCensus.

UK surname

Bertram

Derived from the Old German words for "bright" and "raven," indicating a person with dark, glossy hair.

In the 1881 census there were 1,359 people recorded with the Bertram surname, ranking it #3,016 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 1,653, ranked #3,772, down from #3,016 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Lanchester (Collierley, Kyo, Billingside, Medomsley, Ebchchester, Benfieldside, Heelyfield, Conside, London parishes and Gateshead. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Tweeddale West Area, Winchburgh, Bridgend and Philpstoun and Gateshead.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Bertram is 1,714 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 21.6%.

1881 census count

1,359

Ranked #3,016

Modern count

1,653

2016, ranked #3,772

Peak year

2010

1,714 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Bertram had 1,359 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #3,016 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 1,653 in 2016, ranked #3,772.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 1,651 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Bertram surname distribution map

The map shows where the Bertram surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.

Distribution map

Bertram surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Bertram over time

The 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 618 #4,180
1861 historical 706 #3,836
1881 historical 1,359 #3,016
1891 historical 1,405 #3,099
1901 historical 1,651 #3,125
1911 historical 1,011 #4,501
1997 modern 1,555 #3,794
1998 modern 1,617 #3,807
1999 modern 1,606 #3,861
2000 modern 1,616 #3,814
2001 modern 1,584 #3,812
2002 modern 1,610 #3,828
2003 modern 1,561 #3,858
2004 modern 1,575 #3,833
2005 modern 1,567 #3,804
2006 modern 1,574 #3,782
2007 modern 1,583 #3,801
2008 modern 1,596 #3,800
2009 modern 1,679 #3,723
2010 modern 1,714 #3,727
2011 modern 1,708 #3,683
2012 modern 1,668 #3,709
2013 modern 1,691 #3,724
2014 modern 1,678 #3,763
2015 modern 1,649 #3,786
2016 modern 1,653 #3,772

Geography

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Where Bertrams are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Lanchester (Collierley, Kyo, Billingside, Medomsley, Ebchchester, Benfieldside, Heelyfield, Conside, London parishes, Gateshead and Edinburgh. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Tweeddale West Area, Winchburgh, Bridgend and Philpstoun, Gateshead and Northumberland. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Some modern areas include a three-digit suffix, such as Leeds 110. The suffix is a small-area code, so it stays in the table while the prose uses the plain place name.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 Lanchester (Collierley, Kyo, Billingside, Medomsley, Ebchchester, Benfieldside, Heelyfield, Conside Durham
2 London parishes London 1
3 London parishes London 3
4 Gateshead Durham
5 Edinburgh Edinburgh

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Tweeddale West Area Scottish Borders
2 Winchburgh, Bridgend and Philpstoun West Lothian
3 Gateshead 007 Gateshead
4 Northumberland 007 Northumberland
5 Northumberland 003 Northumberland

Forenames

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First names often paired with Bertram

These lists show first names that appear often with the Bertram surname in historical and recent records.

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Bertram

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Bertram, 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

UK Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce

Group

Established but Challenged

Nationally, the Bertram surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Established but Challenged, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Bertram household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Many households in these neighbourhoods comprise separated or divorced single parents with dependent children. Residents are typically born in the UK, and these neighbourhoods have relatively few members of ethnic minorities. The prevalence of children, their parents and those at or above normal retirement age, suggests neighbourhood structures may be long-established. Levels of unpaid care are high, and long-term disability is more common than in the Supergroup as a whole. Use of the social rented sector is common, often in terraced houses. Levels of overcrowding are above the Supergroup average. Unemployment is high, while those in work are employed in elementary occupations such as caring, leisure and customer services. Many residents have low level qualifications. Neighbourhood concentrations of this Group are found in the South Wales Valleys, Belfast, Londonderry and the Central Lowlands of Scotland.

Wider pattern

Living in terraced or semi-detached houses, residents of these neighbourhoods typically lack high levels of education and work in elementary or routine service occupations. Unemployment is above average. Residents are predominantly born in the UK, and residents are also predominantly from ethnic minorities. Social (but not private sector) rented sector housing is common. This Supergroup is found throughout the UK’s conurbations and industrial regions but is also an integral part of smaller towns.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Bertram is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers, part of The Greater London Mix. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Mainly located in Inner London, these neighbourhoods retain a diverse employment structure, with some concentration in associated professional and technical occupations rather than skilled trades or construction. Social renting is more common and levels of homeownership are low. Many residents identify as Black. There is a lower than average rate of marriage or civil partnership, few that are very old (85 or over) and higher than average incidence of disability.

Wider London pattern

A Supergroup embodying London's diversity in many respects, apart from low numbers of residents identifying as of Bangladeshi, Indian, Pakistani or Other (non-Chinese) Asian ethnicity. There is lower than average prevalence of families with dependent children, while there are above average occurrences of never-married individuals and single-person households. The age distribution is skewed towards younger, single residents and couples without children, with many individuals identifying as of mixed or multiple ethnicity. Social rented or private rented housing is slightly more prevalent than average, and many residents live in flats. Individuals typically work in professional and associated roles in public administration, education or health rather than in elementary occupations in agriculture, energy, water, construction or manufacturing. Incidence of students is slightly below average. Individuals declaring no religion are more prevalent than average and non-use of English at home is below average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Bertram is most concentrated in decile 1 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the less healthy end of the index.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

1
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Bertram falls in decile 4 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname near the middle of the scale.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

4
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Bertram is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 30-40 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

6
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

This describes the area pattern most associated with Bertram, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Bertram

The surname Bertram has its origins in ancient France, tracing back to the 11th century. It is derived from the Germanic personal name Bertram, which is composed of the elements "berht" meaning "bright" and "hram" meaning "raven." This name was often given to those with dark hair or complexion.

In the early medieval period, the name Bertram was particularly prevalent in Normandy, where it appears in various historical records and manuscripts from that time. One notable early reference is in the Domesday Book of 1086, where a landowner named Bertram is listed as holding lands in Wiltshire, England.

The earliest recorded spelling of the surname Bertram can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Lincolnshire in 1202, where a certain Robertus Bertram is mentioned. Over the centuries, the name has been subject to various orthographic variations, including Bertrame, Bertran, and Berthram.

Bertram has also been associated with several place names throughout history, such as Bertramingham in Norfolk, England, which was recorded in the Domesday Book as "Bertramingaham." This suggests that the name may have been adopted as a locative surname by those who hailed from these areas.

One of the earliest and most notable figures bearing the surname Bertram was Sir Roger Bertram (c. 1195-1242), a Norman knight who fought in the Barons' War against King John of England. Another prominent individual was Phillipus de Bertram (c. 1270-1344), a French scholar and theologian who taught at the University of Paris.

During the 14th century, a branch of the Bertram family settled in Scotland, where they became landowners in the county of Berwickshire. One of their descendants, Sir William Bertram (c. 1450-1510), served as the Lord High Treasurer of Scotland under King James IV.

In the literary realm, the name Bertram is associated with the English playwright and poet John Bertram (c. 1585-1639), who authored several plays and poems during the Jacobean era.

Another notable figure was Sir Roger Bertram (1672-1726), an English naval officer and Member of Parliament, who played a crucial role in the War of the Spanish Succession.

These are just a few examples of the many individuals throughout history who have borne the surname Bertram, reflecting its long and rich heritage spanning multiple countries and centuries.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Bertram families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Bertram surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.

Top counties

Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Midlothian leads with 198 Bertrams recorded in 1881 and an index of 10.58x.

County Total Index
Midlothian 198 10.58x
Northumberland 134 6.45x
Lanarkshire 122 2.70x
Durham 111 2.67x
Channel Islands 109 26.33x
Middlesex 109 0.78x
East Lothian 68 36.75x
Lancashire 58 0.35x
Yorkshire 52 0.38x
Berwickshire 42 24.83x
Peeblesshire 35 53.27x
Ayrshire 33 3.16x
Kent 33 0.69x
Essex 31 1.12x
Surrey 31 0.46x
Selkirkshire 27 21.36x
Aberdeenshire 23 1.78x
Cumberland 18 1.50x
Angus 17 1.31x
Hampshire 17 0.59x
Staffordshire 16 0.34x
Cheshire 14 0.45x
Fife 13 1.57x
Warwickshire 13 0.37x
Kirkcudbrightshire 12 5.93x
Norfolk 10 0.47x
Roxburghshire 10 3.95x
West Lothian 10 4.75x
Derbyshire 9 0.41x
Orkney 7 4.55x
Suffolk 5 0.29x
Devon 4 0.14x
Renfrewshire 4 0.37x
Cornwall 3 0.19x
Gloucestershire 3 0.11x
Hertfordshire 3 0.31x
Nottinghamshire 3 0.16x
Oxfordshire 3 0.35x
Perthshire 3 0.48x
Buckinghamshire 2 0.24x
Dumfriesshire 2 0.65x
Leicestershire 2 0.13x
Lincolnshire 2 0.09x
Stirlingshire 2 0.39x
Anglesey 1 0.40x
Dunbartonshire 1 0.27x
Glamorgan 1 0.04x
Herefordshire 1 0.17x
Northamptonshire 1 0.08x
Royal Navy 1 0.60x
Shropshire 1 0.08x
Sussex 1 0.04x
Westmorland 1 0.33x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Edinburgh St Cuthberts in Midlothian leads with 84 Bertrams recorded in 1881 and an index of 11.16x.

Place Total Index
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 84 11.16x
Grouville 47 407.63x
St Helier 33 24.49x
Tynemouth 27 24.26x
Barony 24 2.10x
South Leith 24 11.40x
Bournmoor 22 336.91x
Gateshead 20 6.43x
Lesmahagow 20 41.86x
Belchamp St Paul 18 530.97x
Pendleton In Salford 18 9.11x
Coldingham 17 111.77x
Galashiels 16 34.25x
Muirkirk 16 65.17x
Hackney London 14 1.79x
Cramond 13 91.68x
Haddington 13 47.60x
Jesmond 13 44.46x
Wooler 13 177.84x
Yester 13 292.13x
Sunderland 12 16.35x
Ecclesall Bierlow 11 3.91x
Hamilton 11 8.73x
Innerleithen 11 63.07x
Melrose 11 34.58x
St Pancras London 11 0.98x
Aberdeen St Nicholas 10 4.13x
Dundee 10 2.07x
Galston 10 34.98x
Glasgow 10 1.25x
Govan 10 0.90x
Heworth 10 12.21x
Longbenton 10 11.36x
Penicuik 10 39.32x
St Marylebone London 10 1.34x
Urr 10 38.02x
Westoe 10 4.24x
Athelstaneford 9 246.58x
Avondale 9 34.08x
Bishopwearmouth 9 2.52x
Deptford St Paul 9 2.45x
Earsdon 9 53.22x
Eccles 9 121.46x
Linsheels 9 2368.42x
Rothbury 9 150.75x
Birmingham 8 0.68x
Friern Barnet 8 26.00x
Islington London 8 0.59x
Lambeth 8 0.66x
Libberton 8 266.67x
Monks Coppenhall 8 6.88x
Newcastle On Tyne St 8 7.43x
North Dissington 8 2500.00x
North Leith 8 9.24x
Pencaitland 8 151.80x
Preston Quarter 8 23.74x
St Clement 8 126.98x
Bethnal Green London 7 1.15x
Camberwell 7 0.78x
Cambusnethan 7 6.98x
Croydon 7 1.85x
Dalkeith 7 18.96x
Derby St Peter 7 10.05x
Eddleston 7 205.28x
Falkland 7 53.80x
Gillingham 7 7.12x
Paddington London 7 1.36x
Rugeley 7 20.69x
St George In East London 7 5.33x
Toxteth Park 7 1.25x
Wilton 7 25.22x
Lewisham 6 2.36x
Liberton 6 20.77x
Livingstone 6 83.57x
Ormiston 6 122.20x
Penge 6 6.72x
Peterhead 6 8.77x
Rochford 6 74.81x
Saline 6 131.00x
West Derby 6 1.24x

Top female names

These are the female first names most often recorded with the Bertram surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Top male names

These are the male first names most often recorded with the Bertram surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
John 50
William 36
George 32
James 29
Thomas 28
Charles 16
Joseph 16
Robert 14
Edward 13
Richard 10
Henry 9
Alfred 6
Arthur 5
Harry 5
David 4
Francis 4
Elias 3
Ernest 3
Frederick 3
Helier 3
Osborne 3
Walter 3
Albert 2
Amice 2
Frank 2
Harold 2
Job 2
Joshua 2
Julius 2
Philip 2
Robt. 2
Samuel 2
Wm. 2
Alexander 1
Alexr. 1
Arsene 1
August 1
Benjamin 1
Charley 1
Edith 1
Edmund 1
Edwin 1
Emmanuel 1
Fitzroy 1
Fredk. 1
Herbert 1
Horace 1
Hy 1
Jas. 1
Jessy 1

FAQ

Bertram surname: questions and answers

How common was the Bertram surname in 1881?

In 1881, 1,359 people were recorded with the Bertram surname. That placed it at #3,016 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Bertram surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 1,653 in 2016. That gives Bertram a modern rank of #3,772.

What does the Bertram surname mean?

Derived from the Old German words for "bright" and "raven," indicating a person with dark, glossy hair.

What does the Bertram map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Bertram bearers relative to the surrounding population.

What records is this surname page based on?

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.