Bert (name)
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Bert is a
hypocoristic A hypocorism ( or ; from Ancient Greek ; sometimes also ''hypocoristic''), or pet name, is a name used to show affection for a person. It may be a diminutive form of a person's name, such as '' Izzy'' for Isabel or '' Bob'' for Robert, or it ...
form of a number of various
Germanic given name Germanic languages, Germanic given names are traditionally wikt:dithematic, dithematic; that is, they are formed from two elements (word stem, stems), by joining a prefix and a suffix. For example, Æthelred the Unready, King Æþelred's name was ...
s, such as
Robert The name Robert is an ancient Germanic given name, from Proto-Germanic "fame" and "bright" (''Hrōþiberhtaz''). Compare Old Dutch ''Robrecht'' and Old High German ''Hrodebert'' (a compound of ''Hrōþ, Hruod'' () "fame, glory, honour, prais ...
, Albert, Elbert, Herbert,
Hilbert David Hilbert (; ; 23 January 1862 – 14 February 1943) was a German mathematician and philosophy of mathematics, philosopher of mathematics and one of the most influential mathematicians of his time. Hilbert discovered and developed a broad ...
,
Hubert Hubert is a Germanic masculine given name, from ''hug'' "mind" and '' beraht'' "bright". It also occurs as a surname. Saint Hubert of Liège (or Hubertus) (c. 656 – 30 May 727) is the patron saint of hunters, mathematicians, opticians, and m ...
, Gilbert, Wilbert, Filbert, Fulbert,
Norbert Norbert is a Germanic given name and infrequent surname, from '' nord'' "north" and ''berht'' "bright". People with the given name Academia * Norbert Angermann (born 1936), German historian * Norbert A’Campo (born 1941), Swiss mathematician * ...
, Osbert, Roberto,
Roberta Roberta is a feminine version of the given names Robert and Roberto. It is a Germanic name derived from the stems *hrod meaning "famous", "glorious", "godlike" and *berht meaning "bright", "shining", "light". People with the name *Roberta Achtenbe ...
, Bertram, Berthold, Bertrand,
Bartholomew Bartholomew was one of the twelve apostles of Jesus according to the New Testament. Most scholars today identify Bartholomew as Nathanael, who appears in the Gospel of John (1:45–51; cf. 21:2). New Testament references The name ''Bartholomew ...
, Umberto,
Humbert Humbert, Umbert or Humberto (Latinized ''Humbertus'') is a Germanic given name, from ''hun'' "warrior" and ''beraht'' "bright". It also came into use as a surname. Given name ;Royalty and Middle Ages * Emebert (died 710) * Humbert of Maroilles ...
, Humberto,
Alberto Alberto is the Romance languages, Romance version of the Latinized form (''Albertus'') of Germanic languages, Germanic ''Albert (given name), Albert''. It is used in Italian language, Italian, Portuguese language, Portuguese and Spanish language, ...
,
Alberta Alberta is a Provinces and territories of Canada, province in Canada. It is a part of Western Canada and is one of the three Canadian Prairies, prairie provinces. Alberta is bordered by British Columbia to its west, Saskatchewan to its east, t ...
, Albertine, Albertina,
Cuthbert Cuthbert of Lindisfarne () ( – 20 March 687) was a saint of the early Northumbrian church in the Hiberno-Scottish mission, Celtic tradition. He was a monk, bishop and hermit, associated with the monastery, monasteries of Melrose Abbey#Histo ...
, Delbert,
Dagobert Dagobert or Taginbert is a Germanic male given name, possibly from Old Frankish ''Dag'' "day" and '' beraht'' "bright". Alternatively, it has been identified as Gaulish ''dago'' "good" ''berxto'' "bright". Animals * Roi Dagobert (born 1964), ...
,
Rimbert Saint Rimbert (or Rembert) (''c.'' 830 - 11 June 888 in Bremen) was archbishop of Prince-Archbishopric of Bremen, Hamburg-Bremen, in the northern part of the East Francia, Kingdom of East Frankia from 865 until his death in 888. He most famously wr ...
,
Egbert Egbert is a name that derives from old Germanic words meaning "bright edge", such as that of a blade. Anglo-Saxon variant spellings include Ecgberht () and Ecgbert. German variant spellings include Eckbert and Ekbert. People with the first name Mi ...
, Siegbert, Gualbert, Gerbert, Lambert, Engelbert, Bertie, Uberto, and Colbert. There is a large number of Germanic names ending in ''-bert'', second in number only to those ending in ''-wolf'' (''-olf'', ''-ulf''). Most of these names are early medieval and only a comparatively small fraction remains in modern use. The element ''-berht'' has the meaning of "
bright Bright may refer to: Common meanings *Bright, an adjective meaning giving off or reflecting illumination; see Brightness *Bright, an adjective meaning someone with intelligence People * Bright (surname) * Bright (given name) *Bright, the stage na ...
", Old English ''beorht/berht'', Old High German ''beraht/bereht'', ultimately from a
Common Germanic Proto-Germanic (abbreviated PGmc; also called Common Germanic) is the reconstructed proto-language of the Germanic branch of the Indo-European languages. Proto-Germanic eventually developed from pre-Proto-Germanic into three Germanic bra ...
*''berhtaz'', from a
PIE A pie is a baked dish which is usually made of a pastry dough casing that contains a filling of various sweet or savoury ingredients. Sweet pies may be filled with fruit (as in an apple pie), nuts ( pecan pie), fruit preserves ( jam tart ...
root *''bhereg-'' "white, bright". The female hypocoristic of names containing the same element is Berta. Modern English
bright Bright may refer to: Common meanings *Bright, an adjective meaning giving off or reflecting illumination; see Brightness *Bright, an adjective meaning someone with intelligence People * Bright (surname) * Bright (given name) *Bright, the stage na ...
itself has the same etymology, but it has suffered metathesis at an early date, already in the Old English period, attested as early as AD 700 in the
Lindisfarne Gospels The Lindisfarne Gospels (London, British Library Cotton MS Nero D.IV) is an illuminated manuscript gospel book probably produced around the years 715–720 in the monastery at Lindisfarne, off the coast of Northumberland, which is now in the Bri ...
. The unmetathesized form disappears after AD 1000 and
Middle English Middle English (abbreviated to ME) is a form of the English language that was spoken after the Norman Conquest of 1066, until the late 15th century. The English language underwent distinct variations and developments following the Old English pe ...
from about 1200 has ''briht'' universally.


Names containing ''berht''

There is no evidence of the ''berht'' element in Germanic personal names prior to the 6th century. It is mostly unknown in names of
Goths The Goths were a Germanic people who played a major role in the fall of the Western Roman Empire and the emergence of medieval Europe. They were first reported by Graeco-Roman authors in the 3rd century AD, living north of the Danube in what is ...
,
Vandals The Vandals were a Germanic people who were first reported in the written records as inhabitants of what is now Poland, during the period of the Roman Empire. Much later, in the fifth century, a group of Vandals led by kings established Vand ...
,
Frisians The Frisians () are an ethnic group indigenous to the German Bight, coastal regions of the Netherlands, north-western Germany and southern Denmark. They inhabit an area known as Frisia and are concentrated in the Dutch provinces of Friesland an ...
or Norse, and only rarely occurs in names of
Saxons The Saxons, sometimes called the Old Saxons or Continental Saxons, were a Germanic people of early medieval "Old" Saxony () which became a Carolingian " stem duchy" in 804, in what is now northern Germany. Many of their neighbours were, like th ...
. By contrast, it is very common among
Anglo-Saxons The Anglo-Saxons, in some contexts simply called Saxons or the English, were a Cultural identity, cultural group who spoke Old English and inhabited much of what is now England and south-eastern Scotland in the Early Middle Ages. They traced t ...
,
Lombards The Lombards () or Longobards () were a Germanic peoples, Germanic people who conquered most of the Italian Peninsula between 568 and 774. The medieval Lombard historian Paul the Deacon wrote in the ''History of the Lombards'' (written betwee ...
,
Franks file:Frankish arms.JPG, Aristocratic Frankish burial items from the Merovingian dynasty The Franks ( or ; ; ) were originally a group of Germanic peoples who lived near the Rhine river, Rhine-river military border of Germania Inferior, which wa ...
and
Bavarians Bavarians are a Germans, German ethnographic group native to Bavaria, a state in Germany. The group's dialect or speech is known as Bavarian language, Bavarian, native to Altbayern ("Old Bavaria"), roughly the territory of the historic Electo ...
. The popularity of the element in certain areas may be related to religion, similar to the ''wolf'' element being due to the worship of
Wodanaz Odin (; from ) is a widely revered Æsir, god in Norse mythology and Germanic paganism. Most surviving information on Odin comes from Norse mythology, but he figures prominently in the recorded history of Northern Europe. This includes the Ro ...
, the names with ''berht'' can be considered theophoric, in connection with the goddess
Perchta or (' Bertha'; ), also commonly known as () and other variations, was once known as a goddess in Alpine paganism in the Upper German and also Austrian and Slovenian regions of the Alps. Her name may mean 'the bright one' or 'the bearer' (, fr ...
. The full form of Old High German ''beraht'' is reduced in two ways, by omission of either the second (''berht, perht, pert'') or the first vowel (''braht, praht, brat, prat, brecht''). Early attestations of such names include ''Ethberictus'', ''Garberictus'', and ''Transberictus'' mentioned in Hontheim's ''Historia Trevirensis'' s. a. 699. Pardessus' ''Diplomata'' s. a. 745 has ''Berdbert'' as a rare example of a reduplicated Germanic name. Förstemann counts 369 names with final ''-bert(a)'', of which 61 are feminine.E. Förstemann, ''Altdeutsches Namenbuch'' (1856), p. 235–254. Given names that remain in modern use include: # names with ''-bert'' as final element #* Albert/ Æthelberht,
Cuthbert Cuthbert of Lindisfarne () ( – 20 March 687) was a saint of the early Northumbrian church in the Hiberno-Scottish mission, Celtic tradition. He was a monk, bishop and hermit, associated with the monastery, monasteries of Melrose Abbey#Histo ...
,
Dagobert Dagobert or Taginbert is a Germanic male given name, possibly from Old Frankish ''Dag'' "day" and '' beraht'' "bright". Alternatively, it has been identified as Gaulish ''dago'' "good" ''berxto'' "bright". Animals * Roi Dagobert (born 1964), ...
, Elbert,
Egbert Egbert is a name that derives from old Germanic words meaning "bright edge", such as that of a blade. Anglo-Saxon variant spellings include Ecgberht () and Ecgbert. German variant spellings include Eckbert and Ekbert. People with the first name Mi ...
, Engelbert, Filbert, Gerbert, Gilbert, Harbert, Herbert,
Hubert Hubert is a Germanic masculine given name, from ''hug'' "mind" and '' beraht'' "bright". It also occurs as a surname. Saint Hubert of Liège (or Hubertus) (c. 656 – 30 May 727) is the patron saint of hunters, mathematicians, opticians, and m ...
,
Humbert Humbert, Umbert or Humberto (Latinized ''Humbertus'') is a Germanic given name, from ''hun'' "warrior" and ''beraht'' "bright". It also came into use as a surname. Given name ;Royalty and Middle Ages * Emebert (died 710) * Humbert of Maroilles ...
, Ingbert, Isambard (Isembert),
Norbert Norbert is a Germanic given name and infrequent surname, from '' nord'' "north" and ''berht'' "bright". People with the given name Academia * Norbert Angermann (born 1936), German historian * Norbert A’Campo (born 1941), Swiss mathematician * ...
,
Robert The name Robert is an ancient Germanic given name, from Proto-Germanic "fame" and "bright" (''Hrōþiberhtaz''). Compare Old Dutch ''Robrecht'' and Old High German ''Hrodebert'' (a compound of ''Hrōþ, Hruod'' () "fame, glory, honour, prais ...
, Tolbert, Wilbert # names with ''Bert-'' as first element #* Bertram, Berthold, Bertrand


Names abbreviated "Bert"

The following names are commonly abbreviated as "Bert": * Albert/Adalbert (Æthelbert) * Berthold/Bertold * Bertrand/ Bertram * Colbert * Gilbert * Heribert/ Herbert *
Hubert Hubert is a Germanic masculine given name, from ''hug'' "mind" and '' beraht'' "bright". It also occurs as a surname. Saint Hubert of Liège (or Hubertus) (c. 656 – 30 May 727) is the patron saint of hunters, mathematicians, opticians, and m ...
* Lambert *
Norbert Norbert is a Germanic given name and infrequent surname, from '' nord'' "north" and ''berht'' "bright". People with the given name Academia * Norbert Angermann (born 1936), German historian * Norbert A’Campo (born 1941), Swiss mathematician * ...
*
Robert The name Robert is an ancient Germanic given name, from Proto-Germanic "fame" and "bright" (''Hrōþiberhtaz''). Compare Old Dutch ''Robrecht'' and Old High German ''Hrodebert'' (a compound of ''Hrōþ, Hruod'' () "fame, glory, honour, prais ...
* Cumbert


People called Bert

* Bert Abbey (1869–1962), American baseball player *
Bert Acosta Bertrand Blanchard Acosta (January 1, 1895 – September 1, 1954) was a record-setting aviator and test pilot. He and Clarence D. Chamberlin set an endurance record of 51 hours, 11 minutes, and 25 seconds in the air. He later flew in the Span ...
(1895–1954), American aviator * Bert Adams (1891–1940), American baseball player * Bert Adams (politician) (1916–2003), American politician * Bert Addinall (1921–2005), English professional footballer *
Bert Anciaux Bert Jozef Herman Vic Anciaux (born 11 September 1959) is a Belgian politician and Vooruit faction leader in the Belgian Senate. He was one of the founders of Spirit (later known as the Flemish Progressives, then the Social Liberal Party, or ...
(born 1959), Belgian politician and founder and former member of Spirit (later known as the Social Liberal Party, or SLP) *
Bert Assirati Bartolomeo "Bert" Assirati (9 July 1908 – 31 August 1990), was an English professional wrestler who became a multiple-time British Heavyweight Champion, and, posthumously, a charter member of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame. ...
(1908–1990), English professional wrestler * Bert Auburn, American football player *
Bert Bell De Benneville "Bert" Bell (February 25, 1895 – October 11, 1959) was an American professional football executive and coach. He was the fifth chief executive and second commissioner of the National Football League (NFL) from 1946 until his deat ...
(1895–1959), National Football League commissioner * Bert Berns (1929–1967), American songwriter and record producer in the 1960s * Bert Blyleven (Aalbert) (born 1951), Dutch-born American baseball player * Bert Bos (Gijsbert) (born 1963), Dutch computer scientist working for W3C * Bert Brown, (1938–2018), Canadian politician *
Bert Convy Bernard Whalen "Bert" Convy (July 23, 1933 – July 15, 1991) was an American actor, singer, game-show panelist, and host known for ''Tattletales'', '' Super Password'', and '' Win, Lose or Draw''. Early life Convy was born in St. Louis, Mi ...
(Bernard) (1933–1991), American singer, actor and game show host * Bert Cunningham (1865–1952), American baseball player * Bert Glover (Cyrus Herbert), Australian rules footballer * Bert I. Gordon (1922–2023), American film director and screenwriter * Bert Haanstra (Albert) (1916–1997), Dutch film director * Bert Hargrave (Herbert) (1917–1996), Canadian politician *
Bert Kaempfert Bert Kaempfert (born ; 16 October 1923 – 21 June 1980) was a German orchestra leader, multi-instrumentalist, music producer, arranger, and composer. He made easy listening and jazz-oriented records and wrote the music for a number of well-kno ...
(Bertolt) (1923–1980), German orchestra leader * Bert Koenders (Albert) (born 1958), Dutch politician * Bert Kreischer, (born 1972), American comedian * Bert Laeyendecker (1930–2020), Dutch sociologist *
Bert Lahr Irving Lahrheim (August 13, 1895 – December 4, 1967), known professionally as Bert Lahr, was an American stage and screen actor and comedian. He was best known for his role as the Cowardly Lion, as well as his counterpart Kansas farmworker "Z ...
(1895–1967), American actor and comedian *
Bert McCracken Robert Edward McCracken (born February 25, 1982) is an American singer who is the lead vocalist and songwriter of the rock band the Used. Early life McCracken was born in Provo, Utah, and grew up in Orem, Utah. He was raised in a Mormon fam ...
(Robert) (born 1982), American lead singer of alternative band ''The Used'' *
Bert van Marwijk Lambertus van Marwijk (; born 19 May 1952) is a Dutch Association football, football manager who is a member of the supervisory board for MVV Maastricht. As a player, he played for the Go Ahead Eagles, AZ Alkmaar, AZ, MVV Maastricht, MVV and For ...
(Lambertus) (born 1952), Dutch football player and coach *
Bert Newton Albert Watson Newton (23 July 1938 – 30 October 2021) was an Australian media personality. He was a Logie Hall of Fame inductee, quadruple Gold Logie–winning entertainer, and radio, theatre and television personality and compère. Ne ...
(Albert) (1938–2021), Australian entertainer and media personality *
Bert Nievera Roberto Jose Dela Cruz Nievera (; October17, 1936March27, 2018) was a Filipino-American singer and businessman. He rose to prominence in 1959 after winning the "Search for Johnny Mathis of the Philippines", a singing contest on the television v ...
(1936–2018), Filipino-American singer *
Bert Parks Bert Parks (born Bertram Jacobson; December 30, 1914 – February 2, 1992) was an American actor, singer, and radio and television announcer, best known for hosting the annual Miss America telecast from 1955 to 1979. Early life Parks was bor ...
(1914–1992), American actor, singer, host of Miss America from 1955 to 1979 * Bert Peletier (1937–2023), Dutch mathematician * Bert Peters (composer) (18??–19??), American composer * Bert Peters (1908–1944), Australian rules footballer * Bert Sakmann (Bertold) (born 1942), German cell biologist, winner of the 1991 Nobel Prize for Medicine *
Bert Schneider Berton "Bert" Jerome Schneider (May 5, 1933December 12, 2011) was an American film and television producer. He was responsible for several topical films of the late 1960s and early 1970s, including the road film '' Easy Rider'' (1969), directe ...
(1897–1986), Canadian Olympic champion welterweight boxer * Bert Stenfeldt (born 1933), Swedish Air Force major general *
Bert Trautmann Bernhard Carl "Bert" Trautmann (22 October 1923 – 19 July 2013) was a German professional footballer who played as a goalkeeper. Born in Bremen in 1923, he joined the Jungvolk, the junior section of the Hitler Youth in August 1933. Trautmann ...
(Bernhard) (1923–2013), German football player * Bert Vaux (born 1968), American linguist * Bert Vogelstein (born 1949), American cancer researcher * Bert Weckhuysen (born 1968), Belgian chemist *
Bert Wheeler Bert Wheeler (April 7, 1895 – January 18, 1968) was an American comedian who performed in vaudeville acts, Broadway theatre, American comedy feature films, and television. He was teamed with Broadway comic Robert Woolsey, and they went on to ...
(1895–1968), American comedian *
Bert Williams Bert Williams (November 12, 1874 – March 4, 1922) was a Bahamian-born American entertainer, one of the pre-eminent entertainers of the vaudeville era and one of the most popular comedians for all audiences of his time. While some sources have ...
(1874–1922), Bahamian-born American entertainer * Bert Williams (footballer, born 1920), England football player * Bert Wipiti (1922–1943), New Zealand fighter pilot


As a surname

* Joris Bert (born 1987), French baseball player * Liliane Bert (1922–2015), French actress * Mabel Bert (née Mabel Scott, 1862–1???), Australian-American actress * Margaret Bert (1896–1971), British-American actress *
Paul Bert Paul Bert (17 October 1833 – 11 November 1886) was a French zoologist, physiologist and politician. He is sometimes given the nickname "Father of Aviation Medicine". Life Bert was born at Auxerre ( Yonne). He studied law, earning a doctorate ...
(1833–1886), French physiologist


Fictional characters

*Albert "Bert" Sanders, a character in the 1997 television movie '' On the 2nd Day of Christmas'' played by
Mark Ruffalo Mark Alan Ruffalo (; born November 22, 1967) is an American actor. He began acting in the late 1980s and first gained recognition for his work in Kenneth Lonergan's play ''This Is Our Youth'' (1996) and drama film ''You Can Count on Me'' (2000) ...
*
Bert (Sesame Street) Bert and Ernie are two Muppet characters who appear together in numerous skits on the PBS/HBO children's television show ''Sesame Street''. Ernie acts the role of the naïve and exuberant troublemaker, while Bert is the world-weary foil. Orig ...
, a Muppet character (of
Bert and Ernie Bert and Ernie are two List of Sesame Street Muppets, Muppet characters who appear together in numerous skits on the PBS/HBO children's television show ''Sesame Street''. Ernie acts the role of the naivety, naïve and exuberant troublemaker, whil ...
) on the children's television show ''Sesame Street'' *Bert Barry, a Co-writer and producer of ''Pretty Lady'' on the Broadway musical play '' 42nd Street'' * Bert Ljung, a fictional character in the Bert diaries * Bert (Mary Poppins), a
Cockney Cockney is a dialect of the English language, mainly spoken in London and its environs, particularly by Londoners with working-class and lower middle class roots. The term ''Cockney'' is also used as a demonym for a person from the East End, ...
chimney sweep A chimney sweep is a person who inspects then clears soot and creosote from chimneys. The chimney uses the pressure difference caused by a hot column of gas to create a draught and draw air over the hot coals or wood enabling continued combust ...
in the book series and Disney film ''Mary Poppins''. Played in the film by
Dick Van Dyke Richard Wayne Van Dyke (born December 13, 1925) is an American actor, entertainer and comedian. Dick Van Dyke on screen and stage, His work spans screen and stage, and List of awards and nominations received by Dick Van Dyke, his awards includ ...
* Bert Raccoon, a lead character in TV series '' The Raccoons'' *Bert Schnick, a character from the 1981 musical satire film ''
Shock Treatment ''Shock Treatment'' is a 1981 American musical comedy film directed by Jim Sharman, and co-written by Sharman and Richard O'Brien. It is a follow-up to the 1975 film ''The Rocky Horror Picture Show''. While not an outright sequel, the film does ...
'' *In
Thomas & Friends ''Thomas & Friends'' is a British children's television series which aired from 9 October 1984 to 20 January 2021. Based on ''The Railway Series'' books by Wilbert Awdry and his son Christopher Awdry, Christopher, the series was developed for ...
there are 14 Berts which are: Bertie, Bert the Miniature Engine, Iron Bert,
Wilbert Awdry Wilbert Vere Awdry (15 June 1911 – 21 March 1997), often credited as Rev. W. Awdry, was an English Anglican minister, railway enthusiast, and children's author. He is best remembered as the creator of Thomas the Tank Engine and several other ...
the Thin Clergyman, Sir Robert Norramby, Albert, Albert the Mid Sodor engine, Bertram, Sir Bertram Topham Hatt, Bert the porter, Bert the cleaner, Wilbert the Forest Engine, Bert the worker and "Coke" Bert from a magazine story.


See also

*
Bart (disambiguation) Bart is a masculine given name and a surname, and as an acronym, most frequently refers to Bay Area Rapid Transit. Bart or BART may also refer to: Acronym * Best Available Retrofit Technology, review or rule required under the U.S. Clean Air Act ...
* Bert (disambiguation) * Berth (disambiguation) *
Birt (disambiguation) Birt is a surname. Birt may also refer to: * Birt Acres (1854–1918), photographer and film pioneer * Birt (crater), a lunar impact crater named after William Radcliffe Birt * Birt, a member of the flatfish family Scophthalmidae, related to t ...
* Burt (disambiguation)


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bert (Name) French-language surnames English-language masculine given names Dutch masculine given names English masculine given names Masculine given names Surnames from given names