Bartholomew (English)

Where does "Bartholomew" come from?

The name Bartholomew originates from the Aramaic 'bar tolmai,' meaning 'son of Talmai' or 'son of Ptolemy.' It traveled through Ancient Greek as 'Bartholomaîos' and Latin as 'Bartholomaeus' before entering English. The evolution reflects a fascinating intersection of traditions, as the original Aramaic name became associated with both a biblical king and the Greek Ptolemaic dynasty.

Full etymology tree

• Bartholomew (English), 'An Apostle, identified with Nathanael. (biblical character)'
  • inherited Bartholomaeus (Latin), 'Bartholomew'
    • borrowed Βαρθολομαῖος (Bartholomaîos) (Ancient Greek), 'Bartholomew, a disciple of Jesus.'
      • borrowed bar tolmai (Aramaic)
        • compound bar (Aramaic)
        • compound tolmai (Aramaic)

Direct ancestors

• Bartholomaeus (Latin)
• Βαρθολομαῖος (Ancient Greek)
• Barthélemy (French)

Updated June 2026

Etymology data from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0 · About Miraris