Made world famous by Bart Simpson, this is quite often used as a name in its own right, especially in North America. There are two names of which it was originally a short form. The better known of these is Bartholomew (pronounced bar-THOL-o-mew.) This name appears in the Bible, as one of the Apostles in the New Testament. It is originally Aramaic (the language spoken by Jesus) and means "son of Talmai." Talmai itself is an ancient Hebrew name, which may mean "abounding in furrows."
The other name which can be shortened to Bart is Barton. This is even rarer than Bartholomew now; it was originally a surname. The meaning may be derived from the Old English "bere" or barley; "ton" is a very common ending for English place names; it comes from "tun", indicating "settlement" or enclosure (the root of the word "town.") There is also a word "barton" meaning a farmyard or part of an estate, but this probably isn't old enough to be the meaning of the name Barton.
The other name which can be shortened to Bart is Barton. This is even rarer than Bartholomew now; it was originally a surname. The meaning may be derived from the Old English "bere" or barley; "ton" is a very common ending for English place names; it comes from "tun", indicating "settlement" or enclosure (the root of the word "town.") There is also a word "barton" meaning a farmyard or part of an estate, but this probably isn't old enough to be the meaning of the name Barton.
