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Re: Origin of the surname Bertholet?
Hello Lucille!

I guess the French name Bertholet is a form of the Old German first- and surname Berthold which means "bright ruler".

Judith
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The "bright" part of the definition is confirmed by page 40 of the paperback edition of "dictionnaire étymologique des noms de famille et prénoms de France," by Albert Dauzat. c1980, 1987.

The surname BERTHOLET is treated under the main entry BERTOU, which seems to mean brilliant, wolf---although I do not speak French, the language in which the surnames are discussed.

Reg Niles
RegNMINiles@cs.com
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Could be.......I had suggested this to my friend, too, and I also suggested that it maybe came from Bartholomew, but she said 'no' and said it came from the Queen Berthe. I don't know if she's right, I don't believe she knows too much about the etymology of names in general, so I think my guesses of Berthold and Bartholomew come closer in the neighbourhood than Queen Berthe.

Regards,

Lucille
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