Bertram

Boy name variations

Family name origins & meanings

• German, English, Scottish, French, and Danish : from the Germanic personal name Bertram, composed of the elements berht ‘bright’, ‘famous’ + hrabn ‘raven’. The raven was the bird of Odin, king of the gods, in Germanic mythology. The personal name was common in France throughout the Middle Ages, where its popularity was increased by the fame of the troubadour Bertrand de Born (?1140–?1214). The spelling Bertrand is French, coined by folk etymology under the influence of the present participle ending -and, -ant. The name was taken to England by the Normans in the forms Bertran(d), Bertram, and Bartram.