Bergmann
A German surname meaning “mountain man,” often used for someone who lived on or near a hill or mountain, or worked in the mountains.
The #6,761 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 61,898 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Bergmann is built from German berg, meaning “mountain,” and Mann, meaning “man.” In surname use, it could describe someone connected with mountains by residence or work, and the historical sources also connect it with mining, since miners were often described as mountain men. The sense is therefore partly locational and partly occupational, with “miner” becoming a natural extended meaning in German usage.
History
The name is well established in German-speaking areas and appears in several related forms across German dialect regions. The sources also show a Low German equivalent, Bargmann, and related mountain-based surnames such as Bergner and Bergmayr. In English-speaking countries it is most often encountered through German immigration.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
The same element berg shows up in many German surnames and place names, so Bergmann sits in a large family of “mountain” names.
From the historical record
“p.n. Bargman. Dch ., G. Bergmann (a miner); p.n. Barham. A loc. n., Kent, Suff. Baring. A.S. Beoring, Berring; fam. n. See Bear”
— British Family Names: their origin and meaning (2nd ed.)