At the University of Bern, we are currently implementing the largest project to date for the research of Swiss surnames. Names from before 1800 until the present day are examined from a linguistic point of view, with results to be published in a digital, open-access atlas. On this website, you will find samples of our work, impressions, information on events and much more.
Surnames are contemporary witnesses from the Middle Ages. In some cases, they were already used in Switzerland in the 13th century – earlier than in other German-speaking regions. As a result, they tell us a lot about the historical state of the language – about pronunciation or word formation, for example – but also about life and work in medieval times, for example regarding skilled trades or social interactions. Names also bear witness to the migratory movements of their bearers, i.e. to immigration and internal migration.