Find out how popular the first name Bartholomew has been for the last 50 years (from 1974 to 2023) and learn more about the meaning and history.

Popularity of Bartholomew by gender

Based on the last 50 years of data, Bartholomew is exclusively a male name.

For the most recent data in 2023, there were 33 male babies and 0 female babies born with the name Bartholomew.

The history of the first name Bartholomew

Bartholomew is a masculine given name derived from the Aramaic bar-Talmay, meaning "son of the furrows" or "son of the fertile lands". It has its origins in the ancient Near East and is believed to have been used among Aramaic-speaking communities in the region.

The name gained widespread recognition in the Christian tradition due to its association with one of the Twelve Apostles of Jesus Christ, Bartholomew. He is mentioned in the New Testament gospels, and his feast day is celebrated on August 24th in the Roman Catholic Church.

The earliest recorded use of the name Bartholomew dates back to the 1st century AD, during the time of the Apostles. However, it is likely that the name existed earlier in Aramaic-speaking cultures.

In the Middle Ages, the name Bartholomew became popular in Europe, particularly in England, where it was often rendered as Bartholome or Bertholomew. During this period, the name was borne by several notable figures, including Bartholomew of Exeter (c. 1115-1184), an English scholar and writer.

Another notable bearer of the name was Bartholomew Diaz (c. 1450-1500), a Portuguese explorer who was the first European to round the southern tip of Africa, which he named the Cape of Good Hope.

In the 16th century, Bartholomew Iscanus (c. 1518-1590) was a renowned English calligrapher and writer on penmanship, who contributed to the development of the English Secretary hand script.

During the 17th century, Bartholomew Roberts (c. 1682-1722) was a famous Welsh pirate who raided ships off the Americas and West Africa, earning the nickname "Black Bart".

In the 20th century, Bartholomew "Bart" Cummings (1927-2015) was an Australian horse trainer who won the Melbourne Cup a record 12 times, cementing his status as a legendary figure in Australian horse racing.

Data source

The first name data used on this page comes from the Social Security Administration (SSA). They've been collecting data on baby names since 1880.

The history and meaning of the name Bartholomew was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Bartholomew, please contact us.

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