Bert

Meaning & origin●(measured from records)

Attested across 23 languages in the etymology graph.

How Bert is read●(measured from records)

Bert is one spelling over 3 language communities, and the dictionaries record it differently in 2 of them. Each row is what a source recorded for that language, beside the share of this name’s records the language holds. No single row is the name’s meaning.

• English70%

  A diminutive form of male given names containing the element bert, such as Albert or Robert, also used as a formal given name.

  as a word·kaikki.org Wiktionary extract (IPA + transliterations)

• Dutch8.2%

  No dictionary in our sources glosses Bert in Dutch.

• German6.9%

  a diminutive of the male given names Berthold or Albert, equivalent to English Bert

  as a word·kaikki.org Wiktionary extract (IPA + transliterations)

  Patronymischer Familienname aus einem Rufnamen der Bert-Form; Varianten: Bertel, Bertele, Bertl, Bertlein.

  as a name·Deutscher Familiennamenatlas, Band 6: Familiennamen aus Rufnamen

  Patronymischer Familienname zu Rufnamen mit Bert- (z.B. Bertram, Berthold); 85 Belege.

  as a name·Deutscher Familiennamenatlas, Band 6: Familiennamen aus Rufnamen

  Patronymischer Familienname zu Rufname Bert-, Kurzform zu Bertram/Berthold.

  as a name·Deutscher Familiennamenatlas, Band 6: Familiennamen aus Rufnamen

The share is ours — how much of this name’s records each language holds. The sense beside it is the source’s, quoted and credited, including where it names a gender. We do not publish a gender of our own per language: our records carry one figure for the spelling as a whole.

Other names spelled this way◐(inferred from the name graph)

Bert is also recorded as 4 other names, grouped separately because the records behind them do not connect to the one described above.

• German given name7 spellings in the group

  Most recorded in Germany, United States, Netherlands, Austria

  Also written ́bert, ̈bert, Bęrt

• Spanish given name4 spellings in the group

  Most recorded in United States, Philippines, Argentina, Brazil

  Languages: Spanish, Portuguese

  Also written Bërt

• a separate name2 spellings in the group

  Also written Berṭ

• Indonesian given name2 spellings in the group

  Most recorded in Indonesia, Philippines, United States, Netherlands

  Also written Bērt

78 further groups record this spelling and are not listed here.

Grouping is the name graph's, not a register's: two spellings join a group when the evidence links them, so a group is a claim about the records rather than about the people.

Other recorded senses●(measured from records)

Bert is also recorded in one other lexicon, as a different name or as an ordinary word. These are senses of the spelling, not of the name above.

• Short form of any of the various names containing this syllable as a first or second element, for example pAlbert and Bertram. See also Burt. Pet form: Bertie.

  as a name·A concise dictionary of first names

Ordered by how much of this spelling's record each language holds, so a sense from a language the name is barely used in sits last rather than first.

Notable people with this name●(measured from records)

• Bert Williamsb. 1874USAmerican comedian and actor (1874–1922)
• Bert Glennonb. 1893USAmerican film director and cinematographer (1893-1967)
• Bert Freedb. 1919USAmerican actor (1919–1994)
• Bert Trautmannb. 1923DEGerman association football player and coach (1923-2013)
• Bert Remsenb. 1925USAmerican film actor and casting director (1925-1999)
• Paul Elvstrømb. 1928DKnot in their usual nameDanish yachtsman (1928–2016)
• Bert Sakmannb. 1942DEGerman biologist and physician (1991 Nobel Prize)
• Bert van Marwijkb. 1952NLDutch football manager (born 1952)
• Paul Stanleyb. 1952USnot in their usual nameAmerican rock musician
• Jan Vertonghenb. 1987BEnot in their usual nameBelgian association football player (born 1987)

The ten people covered by the most Wikipedia language editions — a proxy for cross-cultural notability, which favours historical and Western figures over equally prominent contemporary ones — shown by birth year. Source: Wikidata (CC0).

How to address them○(machine-generated)

A formal English salutation is built on the surname, so it needs a full name — on its own, a first name only supports the informal form.

Evidence●(measured from records)

Register rows as of the 2026-10-09 data build.

Frequently asked questions

Where does the name Bert come from?

Short form of any of the various names containing this syllable as a first or second element, for example pAlbert and Bertram. See also Burt. Pet form: Bertie. Recorded by A concise dictionary of first names.

Is Bert a male or female name?

Bert is a male name in our records. Opposite-gender entries fall within the cross-gender noise we measure in the source data, so we don't report them as usage.

In which country does Bert have the most bearers?

Mondonomo estimates about 106 thousand people named Bert in China, more than in any other country we hold, where it is most often spelled bert.

What does the name Bert mean?

In English, A diminutive form of male given names containing the element bert, such as Albert or Robert, also used as a formal given name.

What are other forms of the name Bert?

In the etymology graph, Alberto, Herbert and Heriberto are forms of the same name in other languages; it is recorded as a short form of Albert and Berthold.

How do you pronounce Bert?

A machine transcription gives /bɝt/ (IPA) for English.

How common is the name Bert?

In the United States, the national register counted 11,997 people named Bert in 2020, about 1 in 28 thousand residents.

How common is Bert compared with other names?

In the Netherlands, Bert is the 478th most common given name of 101,916 given names recorded there.