Bartel
A surname that usually comes from medieval forms of Bartholomew, especially as a short form used in Germanic and Dutch-speaking areas.
The #6,152 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 55,450 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Bartel is generally understood as a shortened form of Bartholomew, a biblical name that entered European surnames in many reduced forms. The old sources also show it as a German and Dutch diminutive or clipped form, alongside related spellings such as Bartell, Bartelot, and Bartle. In older onomastic work it is sometimes linked specifically with continental Germanic usage rather than direct English development.
History
The name appears in medieval and early modern records in several spelling forms, especially in England and on the Continent. Historical surname dictionaries connect it with families whose ancestors were named Bartholomew, and the same root generated a wide cluster of similar surnames in English, German, and French records. In the United States today, Bartel is found mainly as an inherited family name from immigrant lines rather than as a newly formed surname.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
The same Bartholomew root produced a surprisingly large family of surnames, including Bartle, Bartlett, Bartelot, and Bartel.
From the historical record
“John fiL Brrtol, co. Camb., 1373. A. Bartel Frobi.*«hcr, co. York. W. 9. Bartly Bradforth, co. York. ibid. Bartdl Story, co. Northumb., IS38: TTT. p. xxviii.”
— A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames (alternate scan)