Borg-Bartolo

Double-barrelled surnames, usually created following a marriage between two families, have no overall meaning as a unit, but the separate parts have their own meaning and derivation. In this instance, the name Borg is of Old Scandinavian origin, and is a topographical name from residence by a fort or fortified place, deriving from the Old Danish "borg", fort, shelter-place, borough. Topographical surnames were among the earliest created since both natural and man-made features in the landscape provided easily recognizable distinguishing names in the small communities of the Middle Ages. On November 12th 1648, Ellin, daughter of Borge Truitzson and Thoa Jonsdotter, was christened at Loshult, Kristianstad, Sweden, and on November 6th 1688, Adam Borg and Margaret Frazier were married at St. Martin in the Fields, Westminster, London. Bartolo is of Italian origin, and derives from the male given name Bartolomeo, ultimately from the Aramaic patronymic "bar-Talmay", son of Talmay, a personal name meaning "having many furrows", i.e. "rich in land". The popularity of the name in Europe was largely due to St. Bartholomew, the patron saint of tanners, vintners and butlers. On September 17th 1597, the birth of Eugenia, daughter of Leonardo Bartolo and Giulia Latro, was registered at Mugnano, Napoli, Italy. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of Erasmo Bartolo, which was dated May 26th 1567, witness at the christening of his daughter, Adelgisa, at Mugnano, Napoli, Italy, during the reign of Maximilian 11, Habsburg Emperor, 1564 - 1576. Surnames became necessary when governments introduced personal taxation. In England this was known as Poll Tax. Throughout the centuries, surnames in every country have continued to "develop" often leading to astonishing variants of the original spelling.