Berger is a surname in both

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany, the country of the Germans and German things **Germania (Roman era) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizenship in Germany, see also Ge ...

and French, 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 ''wikt:toponym, 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 ...

Berg Berg may refer to: People *Berg (surname), a surname (including a list of people with the name) * General Berg (disambiguation) * Berg Ng (born 1960), Hong Kong actor * Berg (footballer, born 1963), Ninimbergue dos Santos Guerra, Brazilian footba ...

, derived from the same. The pronunciation of the English name may sometimes be , following the French phonetics ; the German one is , anglicized as . Notable people with this surname include:

Politics

* Charles W. Berger (1936–2016), American politician * Gianna Berger (born 1999), Swiss politician * James S. Berger (1903–1984), American politician *

Jan Johannis Adriaan Berger Jan Johannis Adriaan Berger (18 September 1918 – 6 September 1978) was a Dutch politician. During World War II, WWII he hid people who were supposed to be shipped off to Nazi Germany, Germany as forced labourers. In 1946 he became a member of th ...

, Dutch politician *

Józef Berger Józef Berger (14 March 1901 – 11 June 1962) was a Polish Lutheran pastor, theologian and politician from the region of Trans-Olza, Czechoslovakia. He was a member of the Polish People's Party, a political party active amongst middle-class Lu ...

(1901–1962), Polish theologian and politician * Karine Berger (born 1973), French politician *

Laurent Berger Laurent Berger (born 27 October 1968) is a French labor leader. He has been the general secretary of the French Democratic Confederation of Labour (CFDT) between 2012 and 2023. Life Youth Berger is the son of a worker of the Chantiers de l'A ...

(born 1968), French trade unionist * Lieselotte Berger (1920–1989), German politician *

Luciana Berger Luciana Clare Berger, Baroness Berger (; born 13 May 1981) is a British politician who served as Member of Parliament (United Kingdom), Member of Parliament for Liverpool Wavertree from 2010 to 2019, and a Member of the House of Lords since 2025 ...

(born 1981), British Liberal Democrat politician * Maria Berger (born 1956), Austrian politician * Markus Berger (1913–1988), German politician * Mateusz Berger (born 1986), Polish politician *

Matthias Berger Matthias Berger (born 2 January 1968) is a German politician who is a member of the Landtag of Saxony. On 1 December 2023 Berger was selected as the top candidate for the Free Voters of Saxony for the 2024 Saxony state election in which he was ...

(born 1968), German politician *

Óscar Berger Óscar José Rafael Berger Perdomo (; born 11 August 1946) is a Guatemalan businessman and politician who served as the 46th president of Guatemala from 2004 to 2008. He previously served as mayor of Guatemala City from 1991 to 1999. Early y ...

(born 1946), President of Guatemala *

Ossian Berger Ossian Berger (13 February 1849 – 28 December 1914) was a Swedish politician and lawyer. He was the minister of justice from 1902 to 1905 and member of the Riksdag (parliament) from 1907 to 1912. Early life and education Berger was born in Ny ...

(1849–1914), Swedish politician and lawyer * Phil Berger (born 1952), American politician * Samuel D. Berger (1911–1980), American diplomat *

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

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

Tina Berger Tina Angela Berger (born 7 September 1981) is an Austrian politician of the Freedom Party. She was elected member of the National Council in the 2024 legislative election, and previously served as a municipal councillor of Lendorf. Referenc ...

(born 1981), Austrian politician *

Ulrich Berger Ulrich Berger (October 24, 1921 – January 21, 2003) was a German politician of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) and former member of the German Bundestag The Bundestag (, "Federal Diet (assembly), Diet") is the lower house of the ...

(1921–2003), German 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

Sports

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 Navig ...

(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, ...

(born 1970), American tennis player *

Andreas Berger (athlete) Andreas Berger (born 9 June 1961 in Gmunden, Oberösterreich) is a former Austrian track and field sprinter, who ran in the 100 m and 200 m. In 1993 he tested positive for the banned steroid Metandienone, together with his teammates Franz Ratz ...

(born 1961), Austrian sprinter *

Ann-Katrin Berger Ann-Katrin Berger (born 9 October 1990) is a German professional footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for Gotham FC in the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) and the Germany national team, where she has been the number one since 2024. She ha ...

(born 1990), German football goalkeeper *

Barbara Berger Barbara Berger (December 6, 1930 – January 27, 2016) was an American baseball catcher who played in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. Listed at 5' 2", 120 lb., she batted and threw right handed. Born in Maywood, Illino ...

(1930–2016), American baseball player *

Chris Berger Christiaan David "Chris" Berger (27 April 1911 – 12 September 1965) was a Dutch athlete, competing in the sprints. Career Berger was a football player and changed to running after winning a 100 national title among footballers. In 1930 he ...

(1911–1965), Dutch sprinter * Daniel Berger (born 1993), American golfer * David Mark Berger (1944–1972), Israeli weightlifter; one of 11 hostages murdered in the Munich massacre * Frederick Berger (1849–?), American baseball umpire *

Gerhard Berger Gerhard Berger (; born 27 August 1959) is an Austrian former racing driver and motorsport executive, who competed in Formula One from to . Berger won 10 Formula One Grands Prix across 14 seasons. Berger competed in Formula One for 14 seasons, ...

(born 1959), Austrian racing driver * Grace Berger (born 1999), American basketball player * Guylaine Berger (born 1956), French swimmer * Han Berger (born 1950), Dutch football coach * Ike Berger (1936–2022), American weightlifter * Ilana Berger (born 1965), Israeli tennis player * Jan Berger (born 1976), Czech-Swiss football player *

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 Municipality in Oppland county in 1985. At the age of six, ...

(born 1979), Norwegian biathlete * Mark Berger (born 1954), Canadian judoka * Maxie Berger (1917–2000), Canadian boxer *

Norma Berger Norma A. Berger Taylor (December 22, 1932 – November 1, 2023) was an American baseball pitcher who played in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League during the season. Berger was nicknamed "Bergie״. Listed at , , she batted and th ...

(1932–2023), American baseball player, sister of Barbara * Ola Berger (born 1979), Norwegian ski mountaineer and cross-country skier *

Olia Berger Olia Berger (born June 30, 1980) is a female judoka from Canada. Her father is judoka Mark Berger (judoka), Mark Berger, who was an Olympic medalist for Canada in 1984. Berger, who is Jewish, earned a bronze medal for Canada in judo in the O72 ...

(born 1983), Canadian judoka *

Patrik Berger Patrik Berger (; born 10 November 1973) is a Czech former professional footballer who played as a midfielder. He started his career in his own country with Slavia Prague and spent a season in Germany playing for Borussia Dortmund. He moved to ...

(born 1973), Czech football player * Ruud Berger (born 1980), Dutch football player *

Sam Berger Sam, SAM or variants may refer to: Places * Sam, Benin * Sam, Boulkiemdé, Burkina Faso * Sam, Bourzanga, Burkina Faso * Sam, Kongoussi, Burkina Faso * Sam, Iran * Sam, Teton County, Idaho, United States, a populated place People and fictio ...

(1900–1992), Canadian football team owner * Samuel Berger (1884–1925), American boxer * Ségolène Berger (born 1978), French tennis player *

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 Berger (born 18 March 1981) is a retired Norwegian biathlete and Olympic champion. Personal life Berger married in 2010, having met her husband in high school.

(born 1981), Norwegian biathlete, sister of Lars * Wally Berger (1905–1988), American baseball player

Music

* Arthur Berger (1912–2003), American composer * Christian Wilhelm Berger (born 1964), Romanian composer and musician *

Dominique II Berger Dominique II Berger (1 January 1780 in Bruges – 23 March 1845) was a Flemish organist and the official city carillonneur of Bruges between 1807 and 1838. Levensloop Dominique or Dominiek II Berger was the eldest son of Dominique I Berger (1747� ...

(1780–1845), Flemish organist and carillonneur * Erna Berger (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 becam ...

(1844–1929), Hawaiian musician *

Karl Berger Karl Hans Berger (March 30, 1935 – April 9, 2023) was a German-American jazz pianist, vibraphonist, composer, and educator. He was a leading figure in jazz improvisation from the 1960s when he settled in the United States for life. He founde ...

(1935–2023), German jazz musician and educator * Ludwig Berger (composer) (1777–1839), German composer and piano teacher * Margaret Berger (born 1985), Norwegian singer, songwriter, and disc jockey *

Michel Berger Michel Jean Hamburger (28 November 1947 – 2 August 1992), known professionally as Michel Berger, was a French singer and songwriter. He was a figure of France's pop music scene for two decades as a singer. As a songwriter he wrote for artists ...

(1947–1992), French singer and songwriter *

Wilhelm Berger Wilhelm Reinhard Berger (9 August 1861 – 16 January 1911) was a German composer, pianist and conductor. Life Berger's father, originally a merchant from Bremen, worked in Boston (where Berger was born) as a music shopkeeper and made a name for ...

(1861–1911), German composer * Wilhelm Georg Berger (1929–1993), Romanian composer * Wilhelm Peterson Berger (1867–1942), Swedish musician

Culture

* Alex Berger, (born 1962), American producer, creator, consultant and entrepreneur * Charlotta Berger (1784–1852), Swedish poet and novelist *

Edward Berger Edward Berger (; born 1970) is a Swiss nationality , Swiss and Austrian nationality law, Austrian director and screenwriter. He is known for his work in Germany, where he was born and grew up, such as the German films ''Jack (2014 film), Jack'' ...

(born 1970), Austrian-Swiss director * Élie Berger (1850–1925), French archivist and palaeographer *

Erika Berger Erika Berger (August 13, 1939 – May 15, 2016) was a German television presenter and author. Life Berger worked as a television presenter on German television broadcaster RTL. As a writer she wrote several books on sexuality Human s ...

(1939–2016), German television presenter and writer * Georgette Berger (1901–1986), Belgian wife of the painter René Magritte *

Helmut Berger Helmut Berger (; ''né'' Steinberger; 29 May 1944 – 18 May 2023) was an Austrian actor, known for his portrayal of narcissistic and sexually ambiguous characters. He was one of the stars of European cinema in the late 1960s and 1970s, and is r ...

(1944–2023), 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 w ...

, American make-up artist *

John Berger John Peter Berger ( ; 5 November 1926 – 2 January 2017) was an English art critic, novelist, painter and poet. His novel '' G.'' won the 1972 Booker Prize, and his essay on art criticism '' Ways of Seeing'', written as an accompaniment to t ...

(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 ...

(born 1958), American comic book editor *

Katya Berger Katya Bebb Cobham (Berger) (born 13 December 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 Cr ...

(born 1966) (sometimes credited as Katia Berger or Katja Berger), British actress * 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, Baltimo ...

(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 Nicole Gouspeyre on 12 June 1934 in Paris. She had a brief ...

(born Nicole Gouspeyre, 1934–1967), French actress * Nicole Berger (American actress) (born 2003), American actress, model, and pianist *

Oscar Berger (cartoonist) Oscar Berger (May 12, 1901 – May 15, 1997) was a well-known caricaturist and cartoonist. His work appeared in numerous newspapers and magazines, and he authored and illustrated seven books. Some of the notable people who have sat for him to be ...

(1901–1997), Slovak cartoonist *

Pablo Berger Pablo Berger Uranga (born 1963) is a Spanish film director and screenwriter. He is known for directing and writing the silent drama film '' Blancanieves'' (2012), the black comedy films '' Torremolinos 73'' (2003) and ''Abracadabra'' (2017), a ...

(born 1963), Spanish film director * Petra Berger (born Petra Pierrette Burger, 1965), Dutch singer, composer, photographer, and actress * Robert Berger (producer) (born 1934), American film producer *

Senta Berger Senta Verhoeven (née Berger; ''Austrian German:'' , ; born 13 May 1941) is an Austrian-German actress. She received many award nominations for her acting in theatre, film, and television; her awards include three Bambi (prize), Bambi Awards, t ...

(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 thro ...

(1924–2014), American novelist *

Wiesław Adam Berger Wiesław Adam Berger (6 June 1926 – 15 January 1998) was a Polish Czech writer. He was connected with the Trans-Olza region of Cieszyn Silesia. Biography Berger was born on 6 June 1926 in Ostrava. He lived from 1927 to 1940 (and also several ...

(1926–1998), Polish writer *

William Berger (actor) William Berger, also known as Bill Berger and Wilhelm Berger, born Wilhelm Thomas Berger (June 20, 1928 – October 2, 1993) was an American actor, mostly associated with Euro and spaghetti Westerns. Biography Career A former roommate of Keith R ...

(1928–1993), Austrian-American actor * Yves Berger (1931–2004), French writer and editor

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 Fra ...

(1871–1931), German botanist * André Berger (born 1942), Belgian climatologist * Beverly Berger, American physicist *

Hans Berger Hans Berger (21 May 1873 – 1 June 1941) was a German psychiatrist. He is best known as the inventor of electroencephalography (EEG) in 1924, which is a method used for recording the electrical activity of the brain, commonly described in terms ...

(1873–1941), German neuroscientist * Harriet Berger (died 2012), American political scientist * James Berger (statistician) (born 1950), American statistician * Jeffrey W. Berger (1963–2001), American physician and engineer * Jerry Berger (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 (born 1965), American-born South African explorer and paleoanthropologist * Leszek Berger (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. Biography After studying from 1948 to 19 ...

(1927–2016), French mathematician * Peter B. Berger (born 1956), American cardiologist *

Peter L. Berger Peter Ludwig Berger (17 March 1929 – 27 June 2017) was an Austrian-born American sociologist and Protestant theologian. Berger became known for his work in the sociology of knowledge, the sociology of religion, study of modernization, and contr ...

(1929–2017), Austrian-born American sociologist and theologian * Richard Berger (1894–1984), Swiss professor of design, decoration, and art history *

Robert Berger (mathematician) Robert Berger (born 1938) is an applied mathematician, known for discovering the first aperiodic tiling using a set of 20,426 distinct tile shapes. Contributions to tiling theory The unexpected existence of aperiodic tilings, although not Berger ...

(born 1938), American mathematician * Wolfgang H. Berger (1937–2017), German-American oceanographer

Other professions

* Carolyn Berger, American judge * Daniel Berger (engraver) (1744–1825), German engraver * David Berger (theologian) (born 1968), German theologian * Gaston Berger (1896–1960), French futurist, industrialist, philosopher and state manager * Georges Berger (1918–1967), Belgian racing driver *

Gottlob Berger Gottlob Christian Berger (16 July 1896 – 5 January 1975) was a German senior Nazi official who held the rank of '' SS-Obergruppenführer und General der Waffen-SS'' (lieutenant general) and was the chief of the SS Main Office responsibl ...

(1896–1975), German ''Schutzstaffel'' (SS) general * Irene Berger (born 1954), American judge * Josef Berger (speechwriter) (1903–1981), American journalist, accused of being a Soviet spy * Patricia Wilson Berger (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 moth ...

(born 1937), German entrepreneur and philanthropist * Roza Berger (1889–1945), 1945 Kraków pogrom victim * Theo Berger (1941–2003), German criminal

Fictional

from the Millennium trilogy by

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