Bertram Boy

Popularity: #929 · Trend: ↘ Falling

Name Meaning & Origin Pronunciation: BUR-tram //ˈbɜːrtræm//

Origin: German; Old English

Meaning: German: bright raven; Old English: illustrious

Historical & Cultural Background

The name Bertram has its roots in the Germanic elements "berht," meaning "bright" or "famous," and "hram," which translates to "raven." This etymology suggests a meaning akin to "bright raven" or "famous raven." The name entered the English language through the Old French form "Bertran," which was derived from the Old High German "Berhtahram," and became more widely used after the Norman Conquest of England in the 11th century. The transition into Middle English saw various spellings, including Bertram and Bertrame, solidifying its presence in the English lexicon by the late medieval period.

Historically, the name Bertram is associated with several notable figures. One of the earliest recorded instances is Bertram de Verdun, a 12th-century nobleman in England.

The name also appears in literature, notably in Shakespeare's play "All's Well That Ends Well," where the character Bertram is a central figure. Additionally, the name is linked to various saints and ecclesiastical figures throughout the Middle Ages, contributing to its enduring presence in Christian contexts.

Culturally, Bertram has been associated with nobility and valor, often evoking imagery of strength and brightness due to its etymological roots. The name has also been used in various literary and artistic works, reinforcing its significance in Western culture.

Diminutive forms like Bert or Bertie have emerged, though they are less frequently noted in historical texts. Overall, Bertram's combination of noble connotations and literary associations has allowed it to maintain a place in the historical narrative of names.

Famous people named Bertram

In this section, you will find notable people named Bertram. 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 Bertram who have made a significant impact on popular culture.

We also feature individuals named Bertram 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.

Bertram Russell is a philosopher and logician best known for The Principles of Mathematics, A History of Western Philosophy, and The Problems of Philosophy.

Bertram F. B. H. W. de Jong is a mathematician best known for his work in algebraic geometry and number theory.

Fictional characters named Bertram

The following list of fictional characters named Bertram 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.

Bertram Wooster is a fictional character from the book series by P.G. Wodehouse. He is a wealthy and somewhat bumbling young man who often finds himself in humorous predicaments, aided by his clever valet, Jeeves.

Bertram C. K. is a fictional character from the animated series The Amazing World of Gumball. They are a minor character who appears as a classmate of Gumball and Darwin, known for their quirky personality.

Sibling suggestions

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

AlfredEdgarHugoLeonardWalterVictor

Similar names

Based on our extensive baby names database, several names share stylistic or phonetic similarities with Bertram. 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.

BartramBertieBramBertBrendanBernardBalthazarBenedict

U.S. Historical Usage

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

Bertram has ranked as high as #840 nationally, which occurred in 1923, and has been most popular in New York, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, New Jersey, and California.

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

Popularity Over Time (National)

The name Bertram 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 Bertram 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 Bertram.

Year Total Births Boy
2025 9 9
2024 10 10
2023 5 5
2022 9 9
2021 6 6
2020 9 9
2019 12 12
2018 5 5
2016 6 6
2015 13 13
2014 7 7
2013 7 7
2012 11 11
2010 9 9
2008 7 7
2007 10 10
2006 10 10
2005 11 11
2004 7 7
2003 9 9
2002 7 7
2000 7 7
1999 9 9
1998 13 13
1997 19 19
1996 15 15
1995 14 14
1994 20 20
1993 14 14
1992 22 22
1991 31 31
1990 15 15
1989 19 19
1988 17 17
1987 18 18
1986 20 20
1985 17 17
1984 28 28
1983 32 32
1982 37 37
1981 28 28
1980 18 18
1979 25 25
1978 38 38
1977 26 26
1976 25 25
1975 37 37
1974 43 43
1973 42 42
1972 46 46
1971 53 53
1970 67 67
1969 64 64
1968 57 57
1967 61 61
1966 71 71
1965 62 62
1964 69 69
1963 59 59
1962 63 63
1961 61 61
1960 58 58
1959 63 63
1958 68 68
1957 62 62
1956 68 68
1955 83 83
1954 80 80
1953 84 84
1952 69 69
1951 86 86
1950 73 73
1949 77 77
1948 83 83
1947 73 73
1946 65 65
1945 66 66
1944 65 65
1943 63 63
1942 86 86
1941 83 83
1940 83 83
1939 86 86
1938 81 81
1937 76 76
1936 79 79
1935 96 96
1934 95 95
1933 127 127
1932 124 124
1931 141 141
1930 158 158
1929 141 141
1928 187 187
1927 177 177
1926 174 174
1925 194 194
1924 223 223
1923 228 228
1922 223 223
1921 195 195
1920 200 200
1919 184 184
1918 197 197
1917 203 203
1916 155 155
1915 159 159
1914 131 131
1913 95 95
1912 90 90
1911 52 52
1910 33 33
1909 27 27
1908 27 27
1907 25 25
1906 28 28
1905 27 27
1904 21 21
1903 18 18
1902 17 17
1901 13 13
1900 20 20
1899 15 15
1898 14 14
1897 13 13
1896 14 14
1895 30 30
1894 17 17
1893 13 13
1892 18 18
1891 13 13
1890 18 18
1889 18 18
1888 14 14
1887 17 17
1886 8 8
1885 19 19
1884 16 16
1883 18 18
1882 21 21
1881 15 15
1880 18 18

Top States for Bertram (1992)

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
CA 6
100%