Barger
An English surname that may come from a form of “burgher,” meaning a townsman or citizen, though some later references also treat it as a spelling variant of related names like Berger.
The #2,528 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 21,554 Americans shares it.
Etymology
The surname is probably linked either to Middle English burgher, meaning a town-dweller or citizen, or to a related continental name such as Berger. One historical source explicitly glosses an early bearer as “the burgher,” which supports the English interpretation, while later references group Barger alongside forms that may reflect Germanic or variant spellings. Because the historical record is mixed, the safest view is that Barger is an old surname with more than one possible source line.
History
The name appears in medieval English records, and later spelling variation has left it somewhat hard to pin to a single origin. In American records it is now established as a fairly uncommon surname, especially in the United States. Some bearers may descend from English urban-name forms, while others may reflect immigrant or Anglicized continental variants.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
A 12th-century London record cited by Bardsley gives an early bearer as “Henry le Barger,” which is one of the clues behind the burgher explanation.
From the historical record
“i.e. the burgher. Henry le Barger, London. 1173. A. IT51. BaD(.— lohD, vn of Eliiabelb Bni^i Si JatClc' " " -^”
— A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames, with special American instances