Bertil is a Scandinavian name of German origin, meaning "bright" or "famous". It is composed of the elements beraht, which means "bright", and hild, meaning "battle". This name has been popular in Sweden for many generations, but it is less commonly used in other parts of the world. Bertil was particularly popular among Swedish royal families; a notable bearer was Prince Bertil, Duke of Halland, who served as the representative of King Carl XVI Gustaf during his absence. The name Bertil is often shortened to Bert or Berti and has a friendly, approachable feel. It can also be considered quite versatile in terms of nicknames and variations, such as Bertie for English speakers or Bertilo for those who prefer a more formal version with the ending -ilo.
The name Bertil experienced a peak in popularity during the early 1910s with over 30 births recorded in some years. However, it saw a significant decline after the late 1930s, with fewer than 10 births per year from 1940 onwards. Despite this decrease in usage, Bertil still had over 480 births recorded over the span of these statistics.