Bures, France · Darke County, Ohio

From Bures to Darke County: Bergé, Berger and Barga

Changing surname spellings connect a Lorraine family with several branches in western Ohio.

The existing family tree traces François Victor Bergé, also recorded as Berger or Barger, to Jean Baptiste Bergé and Marguerite Rose Rayeur. French places in the connected records include Bures, Juvrecourt and Réchicourt-la-Petite.

Family recollection places the adoption of Barga in Dora's generation. American records and memorials use different spellings across closely related people. The site retains the recorded variants so a spelling difference does not hide a family connection.

A story that the spelling changed because of a horse thief has not been substantiated. It is not presented as a historical explanation. The documentary surname variations are interesting without assigning an unsupported motive.

The older French ancestors are already in the tree. Some exact dates differ between compiled sources. New collateral descendants will be connected only when records meet the family archive's evidence threshold.

Sources and further reading

• François Victor Berger memorial
• Jean Baptiste Bergé — compiled profile and citations
• Dominique François Berger — linked record collections