Berger is a surname in both

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) **Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ger ...

and

French French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents ** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...

, although there is no etymological connection between the names in the two languages. The French surname is an occupational name for a shepherd, from Old French ''bergier'' (Late Latin ''berbicarius'', from ''berbex'' 'ram'). The German surname derives from the word ''Berg'', the word for "mountain" or "hill", and means "a resident on a mountain or hill", or someone from a

toponym Toponymy, toponymics, or toponomastics is the study of '' toponyms'' (proper names of places, also known as place names and geographic names), including their origins, meanings, usage and types. Toponym is the general term for a proper name of ...

Berg, derived from the same. The pronunciation of the English name may sometimes be following the French phonetics (the German is ). Notable people with this surname include:

Politics

Charles W. Berger Charles W. Berger (born January 12, 1936) is an American politician in the state of Kentucky. He served in the Kentucky Senate The Kentucky Senate is the upper house of the Kentucky General Assembly. The Kentucky Senate is composed of 38 mem ...

(born 1936), American politician *

James S. Berger James Stanley Berger (January 3, 1903 – April 1, 1984) served as a Pennsylvania State Senator for the Republican Party from 1945 until 1968. Born in Warren County, Pennsylvania, he was a lawyer and lived in Potter County, Pennsylvania ...

(1903–1984), American politician *

Jan Johannis Adriaan Berger Jan Johannis Adriaan Berger (18 September 1918 – 6 September 1978) was a Dutch politician. During WWII he hid people who were supposed to be shipped off to Germany as forced labourers. In 1946 he became a member of the Labour Party. On 15 July ...

, Dutch Labour Party politician. * Józef Berger (1901–1962), Polish theologian and politician. *

Karine Berger Karine Berger (born 11 March 1973) is a French politician, member of the French National Assembly representing Hautes-Alpes between 2012 and 2017. She was the national secretary for the economy of the French Socialist Party. Political career ...

(born 1973), French politician *

Laurent Berger Laurent Berger (born 27 October 1968 in Guérande, Loire-Atlantique) is a French trade unionist. He has been the general secretary of the French Democratic Confederation of Labour (CFDT) since 28 November 2012. Life Youth Laurent Berger is the ...

(born 1968), French trade unionist *

Luciana Berger Luciana Clare Berger (; born 13 May 1981) is a British former Member of Parliament who was MP for Liverpool Wavertree from 2010 to 2019. Initially a member of Labour Co-op, in 2019 she left and co-founded The Independent Group, later Change UK ...

(born 1981), British Liberal Democrat politician *

Maria Berger Maria Berger (born 19 August 1956 in Perg, Upper Austria) is an Austrian politician and currently Judge at the European Court of Justice. She previously served as a Member of the European Parliament and Austria's Minister of Justice. Education ...

(born 1956), Austrian politician * Óscar Berger (born 1946), former President of Guatemala * Ossian Berger (1849–1914), Swedish politician and lawyer *

Philip E. Berger Philip Edward Berger (born August 8, 1952) is a United States Republican Party, Republican member of the North Carolina General Assembly representing the state's thirtieth Senate district, which includes Caswell County, North Carolina, Caswell, R ...

(born 1952), American politician *

Sandy Berger Samuel Richard "Sandy" Berger (October 28, 1945 – December 2, 2015) was an attorney who served as the 18th US National Security Advisor for US President Bill Clinton from 1997 to 2001 after he had served as the Deputy National Security Adviso ...

(1945–2015), American attorney and politician * Thomas Berger (1933–2021), Canadian politician *

Victor L. Berger Victor Luitpold Berger (February 28, 1860August 7, 1929) was an Austrian–American socialist politician and journalist who was a founding member of the Social Democratic Party of America and its successor, the Socialist Party of America. Born in ...

(1860–1929), American politician * Samuel D. Berger (1911–1980), US Ambassador

Sport

Alfred Berger Alfred Berger (25 August 1894 – 11 June 1966) was an Austrian pair skater. With his skating partner, Helene Engelmann, he became the 1924 Olympic champion and a two-time world champion (1922, 1924). Results with Helene Engelmann Helene Eng ...

(1894–1966), Austrian pair skater *

Andrea Berger Andrea Berger (born January 28, 1970) is an American former professional tennis player. At the 1989 Maccabiah Games in Tel Aviv, she won a gold medal in the women's doubles event, and was runner-up to Ilana Berger (no relation) in the singles, ear ...

(born 1970), American tennis player * Andreas Berger (born 1961), Austrian track and field sprinter * Barbara Berger (1930–2016), All-American Girls Professional Baseball League player * Chris Berger (1911–1965), Dutch sprinter * Daniel Berger (born 1993), American professional PGA Tour golfer * David Mark Berger (1944–1972), American-born Israeli weightlifter; Maccabiah champion (middleweight); one of the 11 hostages murdered in the Munich massacre * Frederick Berger (1849-?), American professional baseball umpire * Gerhard Berger (born 1959), Austrian Grand Prix racing driver * Guylaine Berger (born 1956), French swimmer * Han Berger (born 1950), Dutch football coach * Ilana Berger (born 1965), Israeli tennis player * Ike Berger (1936–2022), US Olympic weightlifter (featherweight) * Jan Berger (born 1976), Czech-Swiss football midfielder *

Jay Berger Jay Berger (born November 26, 1966) is an American former professional tennis player. He won three singles and one doubles title on the ATP Tour and reached his career-high singles ranking of World No. 7 in April 1990. Early and personal life ...

(born 1966), American tennis player * Johann Berger (1845–1933), Austrian chess master, theorist, endgame study composer, author and editor *

Lars Berger Lars Berger (born 1 May 1979) is a former Norwegian biathlete and cross-country skier. Life and career Fellow former biathlete Tora Berger is his sister. Berger's family moved to Lesja, Oppland, in 1985. At the age of six, Berger started cross-co ...

(born 1979), Norwegian biathlete * Mark Berger (born 1954), Canadian Olympic silver & bronze (judo heavyweight) * Maxie Berger (1917–2000), Canadian world champion junior welterweight boxer *

Norma Berger Norma A. Berger (Taylor) (born December 22, 1932) is a former pitcher who played in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League during the season. Berger was nicknamed "Bergie״. Listed at , , she batted and threw right-handed. Born in ...

(born 1932), All-American Girls Professional Baseball League player and sister of Barbara Berger *

Ola Berger Ola Berger (born 15 March 1979) is a Norwegian ski mountaineer and cross-country skier. Berger was born in Trondheim. He started ski mountaineering in 1997 and competed first in 2006. He studied at Norwegian University of Science and Technology. ...

(born 1979), Norwegian ski mountaineer and cross-country skier * Olia Berger (born 1983), Canadian judoka * Patrik Berger (born 1973), Czech football midfielder *

Ruud Berger Rudy Johan "Ruud" Berger (born February 18, 1980, in Utrecht) is a retired football midfielder from the Netherlands. Club career Berger came through the FC Utrecht youth system before making his senior debut in the 1998–99 season. He was loane ...

(born 1980), Dutch football midfielder * Sam Berger (1900–1992), Canadian football team owner * Samuel Berger (1884–1925), US Olympic champion heavyweight boxer *

Ségolène Berger Ségolène Berger (born 25 March 1978) is a former professional tennis player from France. Biography Born in Nancy, Berger was a right-handed player who had a double handed backhand. Berger had a best singles ranking of 180 in the world, with h ...

(born 1978), professional tennis player from France. *

Steve Berger Stephen Richard Berger (born May 20, 1973) is an American retired professional mixed martial artist who competed in the Welterweight division. Berger is probably best known for fighting in the UFC, most notably participating in the first mixed ...

(born 1973), American mixed martial artist *

Tora Berger Tora or TORA may refer to: People * Tora (given name), female given name * Tora (surname) * Tora people of Arabia and northern Africa * Torá language, an extinct language once spoken in Brazil Places * Tora, Benin, in Borgou Department * T ...

(born 1981), Norwegian biathlete and sister of Lars Berger *

Wally Berger Walter Anton Berger (October 10, 1905 – November 30, 1988) was an American professional baseball player, scout and manager. He played in Major League Baseball as an outfielder, most notably as a member of the Boston Braves. He also played ...

(1905–1988), Boston Braves slugger of the 1930s *

Ann-Katrin Berger Ann-Katrin Berger (born 9 October 1990) is a German professional footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for English club Chelsea and the Germany national team. Early life At the age of four, Berger began playing football in the KSG Eislingen. As ...

(born 1990), German football goalkeeper

Music

* Arthur Berger (1912–2003), American composer *

Christian Wilhelm Berger Christian Wilhelm Berger (born 13 June 1964 in Bucharest) is a Romanian composer, organist, and a lecturer at the Bucharest Academy. Education Berger studied piano at George Enescu Music School in Bucharest from 1970 to 1982. He studied composi ...

(born 1964), Romanian composer and musician * Dominique II Berger (1780–1845), Flemish organist and carillonneur *

Erna Berger Erna Berger (19 October 1900 – 14 June 1990) was a German lyric coloratura soprano. She was best known for her Queen of the Night and her Konstanze. Career Born in Dresden, Germany, Berger spent some years as a child in India and South Ameri ...

(1900–1990), German soprano singer *

Henri Berger Henry or Henri Berger (August 4, 1844 – October 14, 1929) was a Prussian Kapellmeister, composer and royal bandmaster of the Kingdom of Hawaii from 1872 to 1915. Biography Berger was born Heinrich August Wilhelm Berger in Berlin, and became a ...

(1844–1929), Hawaiian musician * Karl Berger (born 1935), German jazz musician *

Ludwig Berger (composer) Carl Ludwig Heinrich Berger (18 April 1777 – 16 February 1839) was a German pianist, composer, and piano teacher. He was born in Berlin, and spent his youth in Templin and Frankfurt, where he studied both flute and piano. Later, he studied c ...

(1777–1839), German composer and piano teacher *

Margaret Berger Margaret Berger (born 11 October 1985) is a Norway, Norwegian singer, songwriter, music director, and DJ. She made her debut on Sony BMG after she placed second on the Idol (Norway)#Season 2, second season of ''Idol (Norway), Norwegian Idol'' in ...

(born 1985), Norwegian singer, songwriter, and disc jockey * Michel Berger (1947–1992), French singer and songwriter * Wilhelm Berger (1861–1911), German composer * Wilhelm Georg Berger (1929–1993), Romanian composer * Wilhelm Peterson Berger (1867–1942), Swedish musician

Culture

Alex Berger Alex Berger (born ) is a producer, creator, consultant and entrepreneur in the media field. During his professional life, he created or participated in numerous, films , TV shows (Rapido, Burger Quiz...), digital (invented the multi-access porta ...

, (born 1962), American producer, creator, consultant and entrepreneur in the media field *

Charlotta Berger Christina Charlotta Ulrika Berger, née ''Cronhielm af Hakunge'' (21 August 1784 – 25 May 1852), was a Swedish writer, translator, poet and songwriter. Life Charlotta Berger was born in Linköping, the daughter of the major count Carl Emil C ...

(1784–1852), Swedish poet and novelist *

Élie Berger Élie Berger (1850 in Beaucourt – 1925 in Paris) was a French palaeographer and archivist. Graduated an archivist and palaeographer of the École Nationale des Chartes in 1876, Élie Berger was first a member of the École française de Rome f ...

(1850–1925), French archivist and palaeographer * Erika Berger (1939–2016), German television presenter and writer * Georgette Berger (1901–1986), Belgian wife of the painter René Magritte *

Helmut Berger Helmut Berger (; born Helmut Steinberger; 29 May 1944) is an Austrian actor, known for his portrayal of narcissistic and sexually-ambiguous characters. He was one of the stars of the European cinema in the late 1960s and 1970s, and is regarded a ...

(born 1944), Austrian actor *

Howard Berger Howard Berger (born 20 December 1964) is a special make-up effects creator who is best known for his work on ''The Chronicles of Narnia'' films. He has over 200 films to his credit since 1977. Berger is the co-founder of KNB EFX Group along wit ...

, American make-up artist *

Katya Berger Katya Bebb Cobham (Berger) (born 1966) (sometimes credited as Katia Berger or Katja Berger) is a film actress. Biography Katya Berger was born on 13 December 1966 in London, England. She is the daughter of Hugh Russell Bebb and the Croatian sin ...

(born 1966) (sometimes credited as Katia Berger or Katja Berger), British film actress. * John Berger (1926–2017), British art critic, novelist, painter, and author * Jonah Berger, American writer and professor *

Karen Berger Karen Berger (; born February 26, 1958) is an American comic book editor. She is best known for her role in helping create DC Comics' Vertigo imprint in 1993 and serving as the line's Executive Editor until 2013. She currently oversees Berger B ...

(born 1958), American comic book editor * Marco Berger (born 1977), Argentine film director and screenwriter *

Maurice Berger Maurice Berger (May 22, 1956 – March 22, 2020) was an American cultural historian, curator, and art critic, who served as a Research Professor and Chief Curator at the Center for Art, Design and Visual Culture, University of Maryland, Baltimore ...

(1956–2020) American cultural historian, curator, and critic *

Nicole Berger Nicole Berger (born Nicole Gouspeyre,''Le Vrai Nom des stars'' de Michel Bracquart - M.A. Editions - 1989 12 June 1934 – 13 April 1967) was a French actress. Biography Berger was born in Paris. She had a brief theatrical career, particularly ...

(born Nicole Gouspeyre, 1934–1967), French actress * Nicole Berger (American actress) (born 2003), American actress, model, and pianist * Oscar Berger (cartoonist) (1901–1997), Slovak cartoonist *

Pablo Berger Pablo Berger Uranga (born 1963) is a Spanish film director born in Bilbao, Spain. Life and work Pablo Berger attended primary and secondary school in Artxanda Trueba, located on the outskirts of Bilbao, Spain. In 1988 he directed his first sho ...

(born 1963), Spanish film director *

Petra Berger Petra Berger, born ''Petronella Burger'' (Amstelveen, 23 October 1965), is a Dutch classical crossover singer, composer, and musical actress. Biography Petra Berger was born into a musical family, but did not pursue a musical career until late ...

, born Petra Pierrette Burger, 1965), Dutch classical crossover singer, composer, photographer, and musical actress *

Robert Berger (producer) Robert "Buzz" Berger (born February 9, 1934, in Chicago) is an American film producer. Among other films, he was the producer for the Emmy Award-winning TV miniseries ''Holocaust''. Partial filmography * 1974 ''The Missiles of October'' * 197 ...

(born 1934), American film producer * Senta Berger (born 1941), Austrian actress *

Thomas Berger (novelist) Thomas Louis Berger (July 20, 1924 – July 13, 2014) was an American novelist. Probably best known for his picaresque novel ''Little Big Man'' and the subsequent film by Arthur Penn, Berger explored and manipulated many genres of fiction throug ...

(1924–2014), American novelist * Yves Berger (1931–2004), French writer and editor *

Wiesław Adam Berger Wiesław Adam Berger (6 June 1926 in Ostrava- Přívoz – 15 January 1998 in Ostrava) was a Polish writer connected with the Zaolzie region of Cieszyn Silesia. Biography Berger lived from 1927 to 1940 (and also several years after World War II) ...

(1926–1998), Polish writer * William Berger (actor), also known as Bill Berger and Wilhelm Berger, born Wilhelm Thomas Berger (1928–1993), Austrian-American actor

Academics

Alwin Berger Alwin Berger (28 August 1871 – 20 April 1931) was a German botanist best known for his contribution to the nomenclature of succulent plants, particularly agaves and cacti. Born in Germany he worked at the botanical gardens in Dresden and Fran ...

(1871–1931), German botanist *

André Berger André Léon Georges Chevalier Berger (born July 30, 1942, Acoz) is a Belgian climatologist and professor. He is best known for his significant contribution to the renaissance and further development of the astronomical theory of paleoclimates a ...

(born 1942), Belgian climatologist *

Beverly Berger Beverly K. Berger is an American physicist known for her work on gravitational physics, especially gravitational waves, gravitons, and gravitational singularities. Alongside Berger's more serious physics research, she is also known for noticing th ...

, American physicist * Hans Berger (1873–1941), German neuroscientist * Harriet Berger (died 2012), American political scientist *

James Berger (statistician) James Orvis Berger (born April 6, 1950 in Minneapolis, Minnesota) is an American statistician best known for his work on Bayesian statistics and decision theory. He won the COPSS Presidents' Award, one of the two highest awards in statistics, in ...

(born 1950), American statistician * Jeffrey W. Berger (1963–2001), American physician and engineer *

Jerry Berger Gerald Allen "Jerry" Berger (June 30, 1933 – January 5, 2021) was an American press agent and journalist. He was known in the St. Louis, Missouri area for his columns in the ''St. Louis Globe-Democrat'' and the ''St. Louis Post-Dispatch''. Biog ...

(1933–2021), American journalist * Johann Gottfried von Berger (1659–1736), German physician * Josef Berger (scientist) (born 1949), Czech biomedical engineer and haematologist *

Lee R. Berger Lee Rogers Berger (born December 22, 1965) is an American-born South African paleoanthropologist and National Geographic Explorer-in-Residence. He is best known for his discovery of the '' Australopithecus sediba'' type site, Malapa; his leade ...

(born 1965), American-born South African explorer and paleoanthropologist *

Leszek Berger Leszek Berger (10 February 1925, Pabianice, Łódzkie province, Poland – 8 July 2012, Jaskółki, Wielkopolska province) was a Polish herpetologist and malacologist. Family and Education Berger was born 10 February 1925 in Pabianice. He spent ...

(1925–2012), Polish herpetologist and malacologist *

Marcel Berger Marcel Berger (14 April 1927 – 15 October 2016) was a French mathematician, doyen of French differential geometry, and a former director of the Institut des Hautes Études Scientifiques (IHÉS), France. Formerly residing in Le Castera in Las ...

(1927–2016), French mathematician *

Peter B. Berger Peter B. Berger is the Senior Vice President of Clinical Research throughout the North Shore Long Island Jewish Health Care System, the nation's 14th largest health care system, and one of the largest non-profit systems. He is also a Professor of ...

(born 1956), American cardiologist * Peter L. Berger (1929–2017), Austrian-born American sociologist and theologian * Richard Berger (1894–1984), Swiss professor of design, decoration, and art history * Robert Berger (mathematician) (born 1938), American mathematician *

Wolfgang H. Berger Wolfgang "Wolf" Helmut Berger (5 October 1937, Erlangen – 6 August 2017 San Diego, California) was a German-American oceanographer, geologist, micropaleontologist and emeritus professor at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of ...

(1937–2017), German-American oceanographer

Other professions

Carolyn Berger Carolyn Berger is a former justice of the Delaware Supreme Court, and a former vice chancellor on the Delaware Court of Chancery. She was the first female member of both courts. Early life Berger received a B.A. from the University of Rochester ...

, American State (Delaware) Supreme Court justice *

Daniel Berger (engraver) Gottfried Daniel Berger (25 October 1744 - 17 November 1825) was a German engraver. Born in Berlin, Berger was the son of Friedrich Gottlieb Berger who was also an engraver. In 1757 Berger was being instructed by the French painter Blaise Nichola ...

(1744–1825), German engraver *

David Berger (theologian) David Berger (born 8 March 1968 in Würzburg) is a German theologian, author and gay activist. Biography From 1991 to 1998, Berger studied philosophy, Catholic theology and German language and literature in Würzburg, Cologne and Dortmund. Be ...

(born 1968), German theologian *

Gaston Berger Gaston Berger (; 1 October 1896 – 13 November 1960) was a French futurist but also an industrialist, a philosopher and a state manager. He is mainly known for his remarkably lucid analysis of Edmund Husserl's phenomenology and for his studies on ...

(1896–1960), French futurist, industrialist, philosopher and state manager *

Georges Berger Georges Berger (14 September 1918 in Sint-Jans-Molenbeek, near Brussels – 23 August 1967 at the Nürburgring) was a racing driver who raced a Gordini in his two World Championship Formula One Grands Prix. He initially competed during the 1 ...

(1918–1967), Belgian Grand Prix racing driver * Gottlob Berger (1896–1975), German ''Schutzstaffel'' (SS) general * Irene Berger (born 1954), United States District Judge *

Josef Berger (speechwriter) Josef Berger, or Joseph Isadore Berger (May 12, 1903 – November 11, 1971), was an American journalist, author and speechwriter. Early life Berger was born in Denver, Colorado in 1903 and graduated from the University of Missouri School of Journa ...

(1903–1981), American journalist, accused of being a Soviet spy *

Patricia Wilson Berger Patricia Wilson Berger (May 1, 1926 – March 27, 2011) was a special and administrative librarian who worked in several professional organizations throughout her career. Later on, she became the president of the American Library Association and a ...

(1926–2011), American librarian *

Roland Berger Roland Berger (born 22 November 1937) is a German entrepreneur, consultant and philanthropist. Life Roland Berger was born in Berlin in 1937 as Robert Altmann; his family name changed later, after his father, Georg L. Berger, married his mot ...

(born 1937), German entrepreneur, philanthropist, and founder of Roland Berger Strategy Consultants * Roza Berger (1889–1945), 1945 Kraków pogrom victim *

Theo Berger Theo Maximilian Berger (25 January 1941 – 20 November 2003) was a notorious Bavarian criminal, best known for his numerous escapes from prison.

(1941–2003), German criminal

Fictional

* Erika Berger (1957?)

Millennium trilogy ''Millennium'' is a series of best-selling and award-winning Swedish crime novels, created by journalist Stieg Larsson. The two primary characters in the saga are Lisbeth Salander, an asocial computer hacker with a photographic memory, and Mik ...

Stieg Larsson Karl Stig-Erland "Stieg" Larsson (, ; 15 August 1954 – 9 November 2004) was a Swedish writer, journalist, and activist. He is best known for writing the ''Millennium'' trilogy of crime novels, which were published posthumously, starting in 2 ...

. Editor and co-owner of ''Millennium'', Mikael Blomqvist's lover