What does my last name mean??

Question:

What does my last name mean??

it's BERTRAND...

Best Answer - Chosen by Asker: French

The majestic country of France is the ancestral homeland to the prominent surname BERTRAND. The surname BERTRAND is derived from the personal name of an ancestor, making this a patronymic surname, which belongs to the larger category of hereditary surnames. Patronymic surnames arose out of the vernacular and religious given name traditions. The vernacular or regional naming tradition is the oldest and most pervasive type of patronymic surname. According to this custom, names were originally composed of vocabulary elements from the local language. Vernacular names that were derived from ancient Germanic personal names have cognates in most European languages. For example, the court of Charlemagne (742-814) was Christian and Latin-speaking, but the Frankish dialect of Old German was commonly used for personal names. Vernacular names were widespread throughout Normandy. Accordingly, many typical English and French names are in fact, originally of Germanic origin. In some cases the exact same name appears in many other European countries. The given name Bertrand is derived from the Old German name Berhthramn, which meant "bright raven." This was a popular name due to the raven's symbolic which means as "one who defeats his enemies."

Spelling variations of this family name include: Bertrand, Bertran, Bertrant, Bertranc, Bertrent, Bairtrand, Bairtran, Bhairtrand and many more.

First found in Provence, where this eminent family has been seated since ancient times.

Some of the first settlers of this family name or some of its variants were: Jacques Bertrand, aged 40; settled in Louisiana in 1719; M. Bertrand, aged 23; settled in New Orleans in 1823; J. Bertrand, aged 20; settled in New York in 1823.