Etymology & Historical Origin of the Baby Name Bartholomew

Bartholomew is a Biblical name, borne from the New Testament. The name was first rendered in the Greek language as Bartholomaios (Βαρθολομαιος) which was ultimately borrowed from the Aramaic language (bar Talmay) literally meaning “son of Talmai”. The proper name Talmai means “abounding in furrows” (perhaps his father’s forehead was in need of Botox, we’re not sure?). Bartholomew from the Bible is best remembered as one of Jesus’ 12 Apostles. He is called out specifically in Matthew 10:3, to whom Christ gave “authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal every disease and every affliction.” The disciples are named: Simon-Peter, Andrew, James (son of Zebedee), John, Philip, Bartholomew, Thomas, Matthew, James (son of Alphaeus), Thaddeus, Simon and Judas Iscariot. As you can see from this list, all given names have endured to this day with the exception of Thaddeus, Judas and Bartholomew. Incidentally, the Biblical Bartholomew is also identified as “Nathanael of Cana in Galilee” (John 21:2), and he is almost always mentioned in the company of Philip (his BFF). The other significant factoid about this name is the notorious “Saint Bartholomew Day’s Massacre” (August 24, 1572) during the French Wars of Religion (thousands upon thousands of Protestants were massacred by a Catholic mob). The bloodbath just happened to fall on St. Bartholomew’s Feast Day, hence its name. And, perhaps, hence the overall lack of interest in this particular name (due to the negative association). Either that, or else Bartholomew is just too darn long, too hard to spell, or way too obscure. Oh, and bee tee dubs, Bartholomew is the birth name of cartoon character Bart Simpson, aka the modern-day Tom Sawyer. Bart and Tolly are common nicknames.

All About the Baby Name – Bartholomew

Personality

OF THE BOY NAME BARTHOLOMEW

Romance is the hallmark of the Six personality. They exude nurturing, loving, and caring energy. Sixes are in love with the idea of love in its idealized form - and with their magnetic personalities, they easily draw people toward them. Like the number Two personality, they seek balance and harmony in their life and the world at large. They are conscientious and service-oriented, and a champion for the underdog. These personalities naturally attract money and are usually surrounded by lovely material objects - but their human relationships are always primary. They thrive in giving back to others rather than being motivated by their own desires. This is when they achieve great things. Sixes are natural teachers, ministers and counselors.

Popularity

OF THE BOY NAME BARTHOLOMEW

Bartholomew is one of those central Biblical figures whose name did not endure as well as the other disciples of Jesus. All the other Apostles get their names honored all over the place, so why not Bartholomew? We can see why religious folks steer clear from Judas (as in Iscariot). And Thaddeus is a bit crusty. But what’s wrong with Bartholomew? Perhaps people find the name just a bit too lengthy, too cumbersome to spell and/or a little pretentious. All we can say is that old Bartholomew has never been a crowd pleaser. Case in point, only 13 baby boys were given the name Bartholomew in the United States last year. American parents just don’t like this name. It’s a mouthful.

Quick Facts

ON BARTHOLOMEW

GENDER:

Boy

ORIGIN:

English

NUMBER OF SYLLABLES:

4

RANKING POPULARITY:

N/A

PRONUNCIATION:

bahr-THAHL-ə-myoo

SIMPLE MEANING:

Son of the furrowed one

Characteristics

OF BARTHOLOMEW

Humanitarian

Community-minded

Family-oriented

Loving

Affectionate

Compassionate

Sensitive

Cultural References to the Baby Name – Bartholomew

Literary Characters

OF THE BABY NAME BARTHOLOMEW

Bartholomew is an interesting character in William Shakespeare’s classic comedy of war between the sexes, The Taming of the Shrew, believed to have been written between 1590 and 1592. Bartholomew appears only in the (often left out of productions) “Induction”, the preface before the play wherein the lord tricks the drunkard into believing he, too, is a lord, and has the play performed for him. The nobleman’s servant, Bartholomew, is called upon to dress as a woman and pretend to be the drunkard’s wife (a trans-gender disguise – how original, Mr. S.!). Our Bartholomew is so convincing that the drunkard excitedly urges him into bed…probably a little farther than he wanted to go. But the really big part that Bartholomew has on his hands is convincing us – the audience – that his little deception presages Katherine’s final speech of submission to her husband, Petruchio - in short, that it’s all an elaborate hoax. Tall order.

Childrens Books

ON THE BABY NAME BARTHOLOMEW

We cannot find any childrens books with the first name Bartholomew


Popular Songs

ON BARTHOLOMEW

St. Bartholomew
a song by Cryptic Carnage

Bartholomew
a song by Frank Black

Famous People

NAMED BARTHOLOMEW

St. Bartholomew (one of Jesus' 12 Disciples)
Bartholomew Roberts (Welsh pirate)
Bartolomeu Dias (15th century explorer)

Children of Famous People

NAMED BARTHOLOMEW

We cannot find any children of famous people with the first name Bartholomew

Historic Figures

WITH THE NAME BARTHOLOMEW

We cannot find any historically significant people with the first name Bartholomew