Bartholomew Boy

Popularity: #899 · Trend: ↗ Rising

Name Meaning & Origin Pronunciation: bar-THOL-uh-myoo //bɑːrˈθɒləmjuː//

Origin: Hebrew; Greek; Aramaic

Meaning: Hebrew: 'son of the furrow'; Greek: 'heavy' or 'son of the earth'

Historical & Cultural Background

The name Bartholomew has its roots in the Hebrew name "Bar-Talmay," which translates to "son of Talmay." The name Talmay itself is believed to mean "furrowed" or "plowed land," suggesting an agricultural connection. This Hebrew name was later adopted into Greek as "Bartholomaios," which was then transliterated into Latin as "Bartholomaeus." The transition into Old French occurred in the medieval period, leading to the form "Barthelemy," before finally entering the English language as "Bartholomew." This linguistic journey highlights the name's deep biblical origins and its adaptation through various cultures and languages over centuries.

Bartholomew is notably recognized as one of the twelve apostles of Jesus Christ, mentioned in the New Testament. His presence in the Gospels, particularly in the lists of apostles, solidified his significance in early Christianity.

The name gained further prominence through the Vulgate, the Latin translation of the Bible completed in the late 4th century, which helped disseminate Christian texts across Europe. Additionally, Bartholomew's feast day is celebrated on August 24, commemorating his martyrdom, which has been acknowledged since at least the 5th century.

Culturally, Bartholomew has been associated with various traditions and legends, particularly in Christian hagiography. He is often depicted as a patron saint of various professions and is linked to themes of faith, perseverance, and dedication.

The name has also inspired numerous artistic representations, including works by Renaissance painters. The diminutive form "Bart" has emerged in various cultures, reflecting a more informal or affectionate use of the name, though its historical significance remains tied to the original form.

Famous people named Bartholomew

In this section, you will find notable people named Bartholomew. We include individuals across a wide range of fields, including actors known for their work in film, television, and stage productions. You'll also find musicians, directors, and other public figures named Bartholomew who have made a significant impact on popular culture.

We also feature individuals named Bartholomew who have made meaningful contributions to science, politics, athletics, literature, and other areas of public interest.

Please note that not every baby name in our database currently has a famous namesake listed. If you would like to suggest a name we may have missed or submit a correction, feel free to contact us. We review and finalize additions and corrections within 24 hours.

Bartholomew Roberts was a pirate best known for capturing over 400 ships during the Golden Age of Piracy.

Bartholomew of the English was a saint best known for his missionary work and martyrdom.

Fictional characters named Bartholomew

The following list of fictional characters named Bartholomew is a work in progress. If you would like to suggest an additional character, please send us the character's name along with a brief, one-sentence description of what they are best known for.

You may also submit corrections, which we will review and update as quickly as possible.

Bartholomew Cubbins is a fictional character from the book The 500 Hats of Bartholomew Cubbins. He is a young boy who faces a magical predicament involving an endless supply of hats that appear on his head.

Sibling suggestions

If you're looking for sibling name ideas that pair well with Bartholomew, the following options are frequently chosen as complementary choices by parents.

NathanielSamuelGabrielMatthewIsaacDaniel

Similar names

Based on our extensive baby names database, several names share stylistic or phonetic similarities with Bartholomew. These names can serve as alternatives to the sibling suggestions listed above and may help you find the perfect complementary name for your growing family.

BartholomeoBalthazarBenjaminSebastianThaddeusZachariah

U.S. Historical Usage

The name Bartholomew was first seen in the United States in 1880.

Bartholomew has ranked as high as #2115 nationally, which occurred in 1969, and has been most popular in New York, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, New Jersey, and California.

In the past 5 years the name Bartholomew has been trending up compared to the previous 5 years.

Popularity Over Time (National)

The name Bartholomew is part of our comprehensive baby names database, which includes Social Security Administration (SSA) data dating back to 1880—the first official year of state and national tracking. The chart below shows when Bartholomew was first recorded in the United States and illustrates how its popularity has risen and fallen over time.

Popularity Over Time (National) — Table

We track the national popularity of each baby name annually. The table below displays each year along with the number of births reported by the Social Security Administration. This data combines all state-level reporting from the SSA's baby names database to provide a comprehensive view of overall birth counts for Bartholomew.

Year Total Births Boy
2025 39 39
2024 35 35
2023 33 33
2022 29 29
2021 37 37
2020 22 22
2019 34 34
2018 35 35
2017 22 22
2016 17 17
2015 20 20
2014 11 11
2013 12 12
2012 14 14
2011 19 19
2010 10 10
2009 7 7
2008 11 11
2007 16 16
2006 16 16
2005 20 20
2004 7 7
2003 18 18
2002 20 20
2001 10 10
2000 26 26
1999 16 16
1998 18 18
1997 24 24
1996 26 26
1995 24 24
1994 21 21
1993 26 26
1992 32 32
1991 35 35
1990 49 49
1989 49 49
1988 55 55
1987 63 63
1986 41 41
1985 62 62
1984 51 51
1983 50 50
1982 60 60
1981 56 56
1980 71 71
1979 55 55
1978 49 49
1977 62 62
1976 64 64
1975 62 62
1974 66 66
1973 59 59
1972 51 51
1971 71 71
1970 58 58
1969 75 75
1968 48 48
1967 44 44
1966 43 43
1965 40 40
1964 38 38
1963 46 46
1962 40 40
1961 40 40
1960 33 33
1959 47 47
1958 49 49
1957 46 46
1956 57 57
1955 40 40
1954 35 35
1953 54 54
1952 40 40
1951 36 36
1950 33 33
1949 35 35
1948 33 33
1947 28 28
1946 26 26
1945 34 34
1944 25 25
1943 33 33
1942 39 39
1941 29 29
1940 36 36
1939 23 23
1938 27 27
1937 21 21
1936 26 26
1935 31 31
1934 28 28
1933 20 20
1932 24 24
1931 22 22
1930 29 29
1929 23 23
1928 31 31
1927 29 29
1926 39 39
1925 39 39
1924 41 41
1923 32 32
1922 25 25
1921 46 46
1920 40 40
1919 33 33
1918 40 40
1917 36 36
1916 45 45
1915 31 31
1914 42 42
1913 29 29
1912 14 14
1911 9 9
1910 11 11
1909 8 8
1907 8 8
1906 10 10
1905 6 6
1903 8 8
1902 7 7
1900 5 5
1899 6 6
1898 7 7
1897 5 5
1896 8 8
1895 6 6
1894 11 11
1893 5 5
1892 9 9
1891 8 8
1890 13 13
1889 10 10
1888 7 7
1887 7 7
1886 12 12
1885 15 15
1884 9 9
1883 7 7
1882 7 7
1881 8 8
1880 5 5

Top States for Bartholomew (2022)

We track the most popular states for each baby name every year and highlight the locations where the name appears most frequently. The table below shows the five states with the highest number of births for this name in the selected year. Use the toggle to expand the list to every state with reported births.

State Births Share
TX 5
100%