Chapter I#
Origin of the Surname#
The family name BERRY is a good example of the evolutionary nature of names. People took as surnames the names of flowers, fish, animals, birds, and occupations. But by far, one of the most common sources of surnames was place names. The name BERRY is a derivative of the Old English suffix burg, indicating one who lived at or near a hill, stronghold, or fortified place. Thus, the surname BERRY became a frequent name in a large category of surnames derived from place names. Because of the evolutionary nature of name development, it is virtually impossible to pinpoint the exact date of the formation of any new name. BERRY, of course, is no exception. However, some of the ancient records of the English nation give evidence of early forms of the name and show usage as early as 1513. (III; p.3)
The following evidence indicates that the surname BERRY actually had its origin in France and dates back almost to the time of Christ:
BERRY or BERRI, a former province of France, absorbed in 1790 into the departments of Cher, corresponding roughly with Haut-BERRY, and Indre, representing Bas-BERRY. BERRY had been amalgamated with Aquitaine under Augustus, with Bourges as the capital of Aquitania Prima. In 475, BERRY came into possession of the Visigoths, from whom it was taken (c. 507) by Clovis. The first Count of BERRY, Chunibert (d. 763), was created by Waifer, Duke of Aquitaine, from whom the county was wrested by Pippin the Short, who made it his residence and left it to his son Carloman, on whose death it fell to his brother, Charlemagne. The chief authority within the province eventually passed to the viscounts of Bourges, who, while owning the royal suzerainty, preserved a certain independence until 1101, when the viscount Odo de Arpin de Dun sold his fief to the Crown.
BERRY was part of the dowry of Eleanor, wife of Louis VII, and on her divorce and re-marriage with Henry II of England, it passed to the English King. Its possession remained, however, a matter of dispute until 1200, when BERRY reverted by treaty with John of England to Phillip Augustus, and the various fiefs of BERRY were given as a dowry to John’s niece, Blanche de Castille, on her marriage with Phillip’s son Louis (afterwards Louis VIII).
Phillip Augustus established an effective control over the administration of the province by the appointment of a royal “bailli.” In 1360, BERRY was created a duchy for John, son of John II of France. Thenceforward, it was held as an apanage of the French Crown, usually by a member of the royal family closely related to the King. In 1601, it was finally absorbed into the royal domain.
The chief authority within these provinces usually chose the province name as a basis for his own name. In this instance, it was BERRY or BERRI. It is probable that ordinary citizens living within the province adopted BERRY or BERRI as their surname also.
The name BERRY is distributed throughout most of England, in no apparent pattern. It is most common and most numerous in Lancashire, but is also found frequently in Northamptonshire, Warwickshire, and Devonshire. BERRY is also the name of a parish in Devonshire. (III; p.4)
As previously given information reveals, the name BERRY is a landscape name indicating one who lived at or near a hill, a mountain, or a fortified place. This landscape name is evident in many places in Alabama where early BERRY pioneers settled. In Marshall County, the Berry’s named the place Red Hill. Also in Marshall County, James Berry, an early settler, moved to near Arab, located on Brindlee Mountain. In Blount County, the Berry’s settled and named the place Berry Mountain. In Fayette County, the town of Berry is situated among the hills and mountains of that county. In Jackson County, Berry Cove and Berry Cemetery are located among the hills and mountains of that county. In Georgia, Berry College is located at Mt. Berry, Georgia. In Burnet County, Texas, there is Berry Creek.