My Early American Ancestors And Other Ancestors: NAME STUDY FOR SURNAME BARTSCHI BAERTSCHI BERTSCHI AND OTHER VARIANTS

1. Introduction

Surname being studied: Bärtschi Baertschi Bertschi Baertschy

Study scope: Bern, Switzerland

Study goals and objectives: to better understand the origins of the surname Bartschi Baertschi and other variants of the name

2. Variants and Spellings

Bärtschi

Original Swiss German spelling with umlaut (ä); most traditional form

Baertschi

Anglicized spelling; replaces "ä" with "ae" for compatibility

Baertschy	Less common variant; may result from Americanization or transcription
Bertschi	“The last name Bertschi is an occupational surname of Swiss Origin. It derives from the Middle High German name “Bertz” meaning farmers” https://www.igenea.com/en/surnames/b/bertschi

Phonetic spelling and transcription errors: Immigration Officers and record clerks many times wrote names as they sounded to them. Different Swiss communities have different spellings. Transcribing handwritten Church Records and Census Records led to spelling errors.

3. Etymology and Origin

Linguistic roots of the surname:

Swiss German (Bärtschi): from a pet form of the personal name Berthold

https://www.familysearch.org/en/surname?surname=bartschi

Berthold: German and French (mainly Alsace Doubs and Lorraine): from the ancient Germanic personal name Bertwald composed of the elements berth ‘bright famous’ * wald ‘rule’.

https://www.ancestry.com/last-name-meaning/berthold

Occupations associated with surname:

Occupation:	Notes:
Farmer (Bauer)	Most common; many Baertschis were small landowners or tenant farmers in Emmental region, which includes the Canton of Bern Switzerland
Cheesemaker (Käser)	Emmental is famous for its cheese; many Bärtschis worked in dairying

Tailor (Schneider)	Some church records list Bärtschis in textile-related occupations

First known usage or appearance in Bern Switzerland records:

The earliest documents that appear with the surname Bärtschi / Baertschi can be traced at least to 17th-century records in Canton Bern, Switzerland (Eggiwil):

Christen Baertschi, born 1650 in Eggiwil, Bern

4. Geographical Distribution

Historic regions with surname concentration:

The geographical distribution of the surname Bärtschi / Baertschi shows a strong origin in Switzerland, with emigration to smaller populations in mainly the United States and Canada.

Primary Origin:

· Canton of Bern: Especially in the Emmental region which has 40 municipalities including Eggiwil.

 Canton of Zürich and Aargau: Some migration and family branching

· The surname is found in both Protestant and Mennonite communities

Modern-day distribution other than Switzerland:

United States:

State	Notes
Utah	LDS (Mormon) migration in 1800s–1900s from Switzerland
Wisconsin	Swiss German immigrants, farming communities
Illinois	Often part of midwestern immigration patterns

Canada:

Some Baertschi families settled in Ontario and Alberta
Often part of Mennonite or Reformed Swiss emigration groups

5. Migration Patterns

Mennonite and Religious Migration (1600s–1700s)

· Persecution of Anabaptists/Mennonites may have pushed some Bärtschi families:

o Northward into Alsace and the Palatinate (Germany)

o Southwest into Jura and France

Agricultural Migration to the Americas (1800s)

· Driven by land scarcity, inheritance laws, and economic hardship

Religious and Railroad Migration (Late 1800s)

· Some Baertschi descendants converted to Mormonism and moved to:

o Utah (Provo, Salt Lake area) — 1870s–1890s

· Others followed railroad jobs or joined industrial labor in:

o Ohio, Chicago, St. Louis

· Adolph Samuel Baertschi-(1876-1927) born in Blonay, Vaud, Switzerland immigrated to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on March 1, 1897. In Philadelphia, his occupation was harness maker (works with leather) in German the word is “sattler.” This was his occupation in Philadelphia when he first immigrated. In 1897 when Adolph immigrated, electrical trollies were the main means of transportation. There was a need for people to make leather seats for the trollies which at that time, the leathers seats were made by hand. Soon, machines were invented and the machines took over making the leather seats.

U.S. Immigration Patterns:

Swiss Baertschis began arriving in the mid-to-late 1800s
Many occupations listed as farmers, laborers, or cheesemakers on immigration documents
Appeared in naturalization records, census documents, and LDS church rolls

5. Canada and Western Expansion (1900s)

· Migrations into Ontario and Alberta

6. Some Notable Individuals

Werner Bărtschi-composer and classical pianist born January 1, 1950, in Zurich, Switzerland

Paul Bartsch-malacologist and carcinologist born August 14, 1871, in southwest Poland

Nik Bărtsch-composer, bandleader, composer, record producer born August 3, 1971, in Zurich, Switzerland

Hannes Bärtschi- violist born 1972 Männedorf, Switzerland

Sven Bärtschi/Baertschi-former professional ice hockey player, born October 5, 1992, in Langenthal, Bern Switzerland

7. Research Challenges

Availability of transcribed death records online

8. Summary of Findings

Surname Variants: Bärtschi, Bartschi, Baertschi

Origin: Emmental Valley, Canton Bern, Switzerland (Eggiwil)

First Records: 1650 in Eggiwil church registers, perhaps earlier than 1650

Historical Significance: Many Bärtschi, Bartschi, Baertschi were Swiss Anabaptists (Mennonite) some families were persecution and exiled in the 17th century.

Migration: moved to Alsace, the Palatinate (Germany), and later to Pennsylvania, USA (1700s) and some immigrated to South America

Current Distribution: A rare surname; mainly found in Switzerland

Sources: Church records (Eggiwil, Blonay), Bern State Archives, FamilySearch, Ancestry, and Mennonite genealogies.

9. Overall conclusions about the surname and family lines:

The Baertschi surname is of Swiss German origin, mainly from the Bern region, especially around Eggiwil.

Often involved in farming and local trades.

Many Baertschi family members emigrated in the 19th and early 20th centuries, mainly to the United States, especially Pennsylvania.

Multiple family branches exist, sometimes with slight spelling variations.

Genealogical research is supported by church and civil records

The research can be complicated by record gaps, transcription errors, and spelling differences.

10. Sources and Citations

https://www.uen.org/utah_history_encyclopedia/s/SWISS_IN_UTAH.shtml#:~:text=Beginning%20in%20the%20mid,its%20leaders%20and%20moved%20elsewhere.