# Bert (name)

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**Bert** is a [hypocoristic](/source/Hypocoristic) form of a number of various [Germanic given names](/source/Germanic_name), such as [Robert](/source/Robert), [Albert](/source/Albert_(given_name)), [Elbert](/source/Elbert_(disambiguation)), [Herbert](/source/Herbert_(given_name)), [Hilbert](/source/Hilbert_(name)), [Hubert](/source/Hubert), [Gilbert](/source/Gilbert_(given_name)), [Wilbert](/source/Wilbert_(disambiguation)), [Filbert](/source/Filbert_(disambiguation)), [Fulbert](/source/Fulbert), [Norbert](/source/Norbert), [Osbert](/source/Osbert), [Roberto](/source/Roberto), [Roberta](/source/Roberta_(given_name)), [Bertram](/source/Bertram_(name)), [Berthold](/source/Berthold_(disambiguation)), [Bertrand](/source/Bertrand_(name)), [Umberto](/source/Umberto), [Humbert](/source/Humbert), [Humberto](/source/Humberto), [Alberto](/source/Alberto), [Alberta](/source/Alberta_(given_name)), [Albertine](/source/Albertine_(disambiguation)), [Albertina](/source/Albertina), [Cuthbert](/source/Cuthbert_(disambiguation)), [Delbert](/source/Delbert), [Dagobert](/source/Dagobert), [Rimbert](/source/Rimbert), [Egbert](/source/Egbert), [Siegbert](/source/Siegbert), [Gualbert](/source/Gualbert), [Gerbert](/source/Gerbert_(disambiguation)), [Lambert](/source/Lambert_(name)), [Engelbert](/source/Engelbert_(name)), [Bertie](/source/Bertie_(given_name)), [Uberto](/source/Uberto), and [Colbert](/source/Colbert_(name)).

There is a large number of Germanic names ending in *-bert*, second in number only to those ending in *-wolf* (*-olf*, *-ulf*). Most of these names are early medieval and only a comparatively small fraction remains in modern use.

The element *-berht* has the meaning of "[bright](/source/Brightness)", Old English *beorht/berht*, Old High German *beraht/bereht*, ultimately from a [Common Germanic](/source/Common_Germanic) **berhtaz*, from a [PIE](/source/PIE) root **bhereg-* "white, bright". The female hypocoristic of names containing the same element is [Berta](/source/Berta_(disambiguation)).

Modern English [bright](https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/bright) itself has the same etymology, but it underwent [metathesis](/source/Metathesis_(linguistics)) at an early date, already in the Old English period, attested as early as AD 700 in the [Lindisfarne Gospels](/source/Lindisfarne_Gospels). The unmetathesized form disappears after AD 1000 and [Middle English](/source/Middle_English) from about 1200 has *briht* universally.

## Names containing *berht*

There is no evidence of the *berht* element in Germanic personal names prior to the 6th century. It is mostly unknown in names of [Goths](/source/Goths), [Vandals](/source/Vandals), [Frisians](/source/Frisians) or [Norse](/source/Vikings), and only rarely occurs in names of [Saxons](/source/Saxons). By contrast, it is very common among [Anglo-Saxons](/source/Anglo-Saxons), [Lombards](/source/Lombards), [Franks](/source/Franks) and [Bavarians](/source/Bavarians). The popularity of the element in certain areas may be related to religion, similar to the *wolf* element being due to the worship of [Wodanaz](/source/Wodanaz), the names with *berht* can be considered theophoric, in connection with the goddess [Perchta](/source/Perchta). The full form of Old High German *beraht* is reduced in two ways, by omission of either the second (*berht, perht, pert*) or the first vowel (*braht, praht, brat, prat, brecht*). Early attestations of such names include *Ethberictus*, *Garberictus*, and *Transberictus* mentioned in [Hontheim](/source/Johann_Nikolaus_von_Hontheim)'s *Historia Trevirensis* s. a. 699. [Pardessus](/source/Jean_Marie_Pardessus)' *Diplomata* s. a. 745 has *Berdbert* as a rare example of a reduplicated Germanic name. Förstemann counts 369 names with final *-bert(a)*, of which 61 are feminine.[1]

Given names that remain in modern use include:

1. names with *-bert* as final element - [Albert](/source/Albert_(given_name))/[Æthelberht](/source/%C3%86thelberht_(disambiguation)), [Cuthbert](/source/Cuthbert_(given_name)), [Dagobert](/source/Dagobert), [Elbert](/source/Elbert_(disambiguation)), [Egbert](/source/Egbert_(disambiguation)), [Engelbert](/source/Engelbert_(disambiguation)), [Filbert](/source/Filbert_(disambiguation)), [Gerbert](/source/Gerbert_(disambiguation)), [Gilbert](/source/Gilbert_(given_name)), [Harbert](/source/Harbert), [Herbert](/source/Herbert_(given_name)), [Hubert](/source/Hubert), [Humbert](/source/Humbert), [Norbert](/source/Norbert), [Robert](/source/Robert), [Tolbert](/source/Tolbert), [Wilbert](/source/Willbert_(disambiguation))

1. names with *Bert-* as first element - [Bertram](/source/Bertram_(name)), [Berthold](/source/Berthold_(disambiguation)), [Bertrand](/source/Bertrand_(name))

## Names abbreviated "Bert"

Further information: [Berta (disambiguation)](/source/Berta_(disambiguation)) and [Bertha](/source/Bertha)

The following names are commonly abbreviated as "Bert":

- [Albert](/source/Albert_(given_name))/Adalbert (Æthelbert)

- [Berthold](/source/Berthold_(disambiguation))/Bertold

- [Bertrand](/source/Bertrand_(name))/[Bertram](/source/Bertram_(disambiguation))

- [Colbert](/source/Colbert_(name))

- [Gilbert](/source/Gilbert_(given_name))

- [Heribert](/source/Heribert)/[Herbert](/source/Herbert_(given_name))

- [Hubert](/source/Hubert)

- [Lambert](/source/Lambert_(name))

- [Norbert](/source/Norbert)

- [Robert](/source/Robert)

- [Cumbert](/source/Cumbert)

## People called Bert

- [Bert Abbey](/source/Bert_Abbey) (1869–1962), American baseball player

- [Bert Acosta](/source/Bert_Acosta) (1895–1954), American aviator

- [Bert Adams](/source/Bert_Adams) (1891–1940), American baseball player

- [Bert Adams (politician)](/source/Bert_Adams_(politician)) (1916–2003), American politician

- [Bert Addinall](/source/Bert_Addinall) (1921–2005), English professional footballer

- [Bert Anciaux](/source/Bert_Anciaux) (born 1959), Belgian politician and founder and former member of Spirit (later known as the Social Liberal Party, or SLP)

- [Bert Assirati](/source/Bert_Assirati) (1908–1990), English professional wrestler

- [Bert Auburn](/source/Bert_Auburn), American football player

- [Bert Bell](/source/Bert_Bell) (1895–1959), National Football League commissioner

- [Bert Berns](/source/Bert_Berns) (1929–1967), American songwriter and record producer in the 1960s

- [Bert Blyleven](/source/Bert_Blyleven) (Aalbert) (born 1951), Dutch-born American baseball player

- [Bert Bos](/source/Bert_Bos) (Gijsbert) (born 1963), Dutch computer scientist working for W3C

- [Bert Brown](/source/Bert_Brown), (1938–2018), Canadian politician

- [Bert Convy](/source/Bert_Convy) (Bernard) (1933–1991), American singer, actor and game show host

- [Bert Cunningham](/source/Bert_Cunningham) (1865–1952), American baseball player

- [Bert Glover](/source/Bert_Glover) (Cyrus Herbert), Australian rules footballer

- [Bert I. Gordon](/source/Bert_I._Gordon) (1922–2023), American film director and screenwriter

- [Bert Haanstra](/source/Bert_Haanstra) (Albert) (1916–1997), Dutch film director

- [Bert Hargrave](/source/Bert_Hargrave) (Herbert) (1917–1996), Canadian politician

- [Bert Kaempfert](/source/Bert_Kaempfert) (Bertolt) (1923–1980), German orchestra leader

- [Bert Koenders](/source/Bert_Koenders) (Albert) (born 1958), Dutch politician

- [Bert Kreischer](/source/Bert_Kreischer), (born 1972), American comedian

- [Bert Laeyendecker](/source/Bert_Laeyendecker) (1930–2020), Dutch sociologist

- [Bert Lahr](/source/Bert_Lahr) (1895–1967), American actor and comedian

- [Bert McCracken](/source/Bert_McCracken) (Robert) (born 1982), American lead singer of alternative band *The Used*

- [Bert van Marwijk](/source/Bert_van_Marwijk) (Lambertus) (born 1952), Dutch football player and coach

- [Bert Newton](/source/Bert_Newton) (Albert) (1938–2021), Australian entertainer and media personality

- [Bert Nievera](/source/Bert_Nievera) (1936–2018), Filipino-American singer

- [Bert Parks](/source/Bert_Parks) (1914–1992), American actor, singer, host of Miss America from 1955 to 1979

- [Bert Peletier](/source/Bert_Peletier) (1937–2023), Dutch mathematician

- [Bert Peters (composer)](/source/Bert_Peters_(composer)) (18??–19??), American composer

- [Bert Peters](/source/Bert_Peters) (1908–1944), Australian rules footballer

- [Bert Sakmann](/source/Bert_Sakmann) (Bertold) (born 1942), German cell biologist, winner of the 1991 Nobel Prize for Medicine

- [Bert Schneider](/source/Bert_Schneider) (1897–1986), Canadian Olympic champion welterweight boxer

- [Bert Stenfeldt](/source/Bert_Stenfeldt) (1933–2023), Swedish Air Force major general

- [Bert Trautmann](/source/Bert_Trautmann) (Bernhard) (1923–2013), German football player

- [Bert Vaux](/source/Bert_Vaux) (born 1968), American linguist

- [Bert Vogelstein](/source/Bert_Vogelstein) (born 1949), American cancer researcher

- [Bert Weckhuysen](/source/Bert_Weckhuysen) (born 1968), Belgian chemist

- [Bert Wheeler](/source/Bert_Wheeler) (1895–1968), American comedian

- [Bert Williams](/source/Bert_Williams) (1874–1922), Bahamian-born American entertainer

- [Bert Williams (footballer, born 1920)](/source/Bert_Williams_(footballer%2C_born_1920)), England football player

- [Bert Wipiti](/source/Bert_Wipiti) (1922–1943), New Zealand fighter pilot

## As a surname

- [Joris Bert](/source/Joris_Bert) (born 1987), French baseball player

- [Liliane Bert](/source/Liliane_Bert) (1922–2015), French actress

- [Mabel Bert](/source/Mabel_Bert) (née Mabel Scott, 1862–1???), Australian-American actress

- [Margaret Bert](/source/Margaret_Bert) (1896–1971), British-American actress

- [Paul Bert](/source/Paul_Bert) (1833–1886), French physiologist

## Fictional characters

- Albert "Bert" Sanders, a character in the 1997 television movie *[On the 2nd Day of Christmas](/source/On_the_2nd_Day_of_Christmas#Cast)* played by [Mark Ruffalo](/source/Mark_Ruffalo)

- [Bert (Sesame Street)](/source/Bert_(Sesame_Street)), a Muppet character (of [Bert and Ernie](/source/Bert_and_Ernie)) on the children's television show *Sesame Street*

- Bert Barry, a Co-writer and producer of *Pretty Lady* on the Broadway musical play *[42nd Street](/source/42nd_Street_(musical))*

- [Bert Ljung](/source/Bert_Ljung), a fictional character in the [Bert diaries](/source/Bert_diaries)

- [Bert (Mary Poppins)](/source/Bert_(Mary_Poppins)), a [Cockney](/source/Cockney) [chimney sweep](/source/Chimney_sweep) in the book series and Disney film *Mary Poppins*. Played in the film by [Dick Van Dyke](/source/Dick_Van_Dyke)

- [Bert Raccoon](/source/Bert_Raccoon), a lead character in TV series *[The Raccoons](/source/The_Raccoons)*

- Bert Schnick, a character from the 1981 musical satire film *[Shock Treatment](/source/Shock_Treatment)*

- Bert Pickup, character from the sitcom series *[Yanks Go Home](/source/Yanks_Go_Home)*, portrayed by Harry Markham

- [Bertie Pollock](/source/Bertie_Pollock), a child in the *[44 Scotland Street](/source/44_Scotland_Street)* series of novels by [Alexander McCall Smith](/source/Alexander_McCall_Smith)

- [Bertie Wooster](/source/Bertie_Wooster), a gentlemen attended by [Jeeves](/source/Jeeves) in the comedies of [P. G. Wodehouse](/source/P._G._Wodehouse)

- In [Thomas & Friends](/source/Thomas_%26_Friends) there are [14 Berts](/source/List_of_Thomas_%26_Friends_characters) which are: Bertie, Bert the Miniature Engine, Iron Bert, [Wilbert Awdry](/source/Wilbert_Awdry) the Thin Clergyman, Sir Robert Norramby, Albert, Albert the Mid Sodor engine, Bertram, [Sir Bertram Topham Hatt](/source/The_Fat_Controller), Bert the porter, Bert the cleaner, Wilbert the Forest Engine, Bert the worker and "Coke" Bert from a magazine story.

## See also

Look up ***[Bert](https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Bert)*** in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.

- [Bart (disambiguation)](/source/Bart_(disambiguation))

- [Bert (disambiguation)](/source/Bert_(disambiguation))

- [Berth (disambiguation)](/source/Berth_(disambiguation))

- [Birt (disambiguation)](/source/Birt_(disambiguation))

- [Burt (disambiguation)](/source/Burt_(disambiguation))

- [Bertie (given name)](/source/Bertie_(given_name))

- [Bertie (nickname)](/source/Bertie_(nickname))

## References

1. **[^](#cite_ref-1)** E. Förstemann, *Altdeutsches Namenbuch* (1856), p. 235–254.

Name list
This page or section lists people that share the same [given name](/source/Given_name) or the same [family name](/source/Family_name).
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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Bert (name)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bert_(name)) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bert_(name)?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.