Berlie
A diminutive form of the masculine name Berlin, possibly of Old Norse origin.
Name Census estimates that about 22 living Americans carry the first name Berlie. It appears on both sides of the gender split, with 64.6% of registrations being male. The average person named Berlie today is around 92 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Berlie births was 1920 (24 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Berlie. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
Key insights
- • The typical person named Berlie is about 92 years old today, placing it firmly among the names of earlier generations. Most living Berlies were born before 1944.
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Berlie. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
22
~ 1 in 15,579,743 Americans
Peak year
1920
24 babies that year
Average age
92
years old
1947 SSA rank
#3,740
Tracked since 1904
Census
Berlie in the 2020 Census
The 2020 Census recorded 137 people with the first name Berlie, which placed it at #47,543 in the published first-name tables. This is a snapshot of people who already had the name at the time of the Census.
The SSA sections elsewhere on this page answer a different question: how often parents gave the name to babies over time. The "people living today" figure on this page is different again: it is a current estimate built from SSA birth records and age-based survival rates, so the two numbers are not expected to match exactly.
2020 Census rank
#47,543
National first-name rank
People counted
137
137 in the published race/origin table
Per 100,000
0.0
People with this name in 2020
Largest reported group
White
51.8% of people with this name
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Berlie
In the 2020 Census race and Hispanic-origin table, the largest reported group for people named Berlie is White at 51.8%. The next largest groups are Black (32.8%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (6.6%). These figures describe the people who had the name in 2020, not any inherent property of the name itself.
The bar chart below shows how people with the first name Berlie described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given name, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown so the breakdown is easy to read across every published category. Because the 2020 Census first-name file also includes raw headcounts for each group, Name Census can show those alongside the percentages in the legend and hover tooltip.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A first name does not determine a person's race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the name Berlie at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White51.8% · 71
- Black or African American32.8% · 45
- Asian and Pacific Islander6.6% · 9
- Hispanic or Latino2.9% · 4
- American Indian and Alaska Native2.9% · 4
- Two or more races2.9% · 4
Gender
Gender distribution for Berlie
Berlie is one of the more evenly split names in the SSA data. Of the 291 total registrations, 188 (64.6%) were male and 103 (35.4%) were female.
Berlie as a male name
- Ranked #3,770 in 1947
- 5 male births in 1947
- Peak: 1920 (15 births)
Berlie as a female name
- Ranked #3,740 in 1936
- 6 female births in 1936
- Peak: 1919 (11 births)
2020 Census snapshot
The 2020 Census sex table shows Berlie on both sides of the split. Of the 144 people counted with this name, 79 were male (54.9%) and 65 were female (45.1%).
Popularity
Berlie: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Berlie from the 1900s through to the 1940s, spanning 5 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1920s, with 124 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1920s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Berlie by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Berlie during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Origin
Meaning and history of Berlie
The name Berlie is a unique and intriguing one with a rich history that can be traced back to various regions and cultures around the world. Its origins are believed to be rooted in the Old Germanic language, where it was derived from the word "berht," meaning "bright" or "shining." This connection suggests that the name may have been initially associated with individuals who possessed a radiant or luminous quality, either physically or metaphorically.
Over time, the name underwent various transformations and adaptations, leading to the emergence of different spellings and variations across different regions. One notable variation is the name "Beryl," which shares a similar root and meaning. This version of the name gained particular popularity in English-speaking countries and has been used as both a given name and a gemstone name.
In terms of historical references, the name Berlie has been documented in various ancient texts and records, although its occurrence is relatively rare. One of the earliest known mentions of the name can be found in the Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of land ownership and taxation compiled in England in 1086. This suggests that the name may have been in use among certain communities in Britain during the medieval period.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Berlie, leaving their mark in various fields and disciplines. One such figure was Berlie Doherty (1940-2010), an acclaimed British children's author and playwright. Her works, including the classic "Street Child," explored themes of childhood, poverty, and social injustice, earning her critical acclaim and numerous awards.
Another prominent bearer of the name was Berlie Falconer (1904-1988), a British actress and singer who enjoyed a successful career in theater and film during the mid-20th century. Her performances on stage and screen captivated audiences, and she is remembered for her talent and versatility as a performer.
In the realm of sports, Berlie Smith (1923-2008) was a notable figure in Australian cricket. He played as a right-arm fast bowler for the Australian national team in the 1950s and is recognized for his contributions to the sport during his playing career.
Moving to the field of politics, Berlie Cosgrave (1904-1965) was an Irish politician who served as the Taoiseach (Prime Minister) of Ireland from 1973 to 1977. His tenure saw significant developments in Ireland's economic and social policies, and he played a crucial role in shaping the country's political landscape during that period.
Finally, Berlie Monk (1941-2016) was a British artist and illustrator known for her vibrant and whimsical children's book illustrations. Her work brought joy and wonder to countless young readers, and she is remembered as a talented and influential figure in the world of children's literature.
These examples demonstrate the diverse range of individuals who have carried the name Berlie throughout history, each leaving their unique mark in their respective fields and contributing to the rich tapestry of human experience.
People
Berlie + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Berlie as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with B
Other first names starting with B with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Berlie: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Berlie?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 22 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Berlie going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 15,579,743 US residents.
Is Berlie a common name?
We classify Berlie as "Very Rare". It ranks above 41.6% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 291 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Berlie most popular?
The single biggest year for Berlie was 1920, when 24 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Berlie is about 92 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
How common was Berlie in the 2020 Census?
The published 2020 Census first-name tables recorded 137 people with the name Berlie, or 0.05 per 100,000 residents. That placed it at #47,543 in the national Census ranking for first names.
Why is the Census count different from the living estimate?
Because they measure different things. The Census figure is a count of people who had the name Berlie in 2020. The living estimate aims to answer a current question instead: how many people with the name are alive today, based on SSA birth records and age-based survival rates. Since one number is a 2020 snapshot and the other is a present-day estimate, they are not expected to be identical.
What does the Census say about the gender split for Berlie?
The 2020 Census sex table shows Berlie on both sides of the split. Of the 144 people counted with this name, 79 were male (54.9%) and 65 were female (45.1%). The Census view is a snapshot of people living with the name in 2020, while the SSA section above tracks births across time.
What does the Census say about the background of people named Berlie?
In the 2020 Census race and Hispanic-origin table, the largest reported group for people named Berlie is White at 51.8%. The next largest groups are Black (32.8%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (6.6%). These figures describe the people who had the name in 2020, not any inherent property of the name itself. The percentages in the chart above come from self-reported race and Hispanic-origin responses in the 2020 Census.
Which group reports the name Berlie most often in the Census?
White is the largest reported group for people named Berlie in the 2020 Census, accounting for 51.8% (71 people in the published table).
Why can the Census sex total and race total differ slightly?
The Census Bureau published separate 2020 tables for sex and for race/Hispanic origin, and the released figures can differ slightly because of privacy protection in the public files. That is why this page treats the gender section and the race/origin section as two related snapshots instead of forcing them into one identical total.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only includes names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files have no Census demographic snapshot. When that happens, the SSA trend, gender history, and state sections still appear, but the 2020 Census demographic sections are omitted.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Berlie in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Berlie a male name?
Yes, 64.6% of people registered as Berlie in the SSA data are male. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Is Berlie still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Berlie in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Berlie can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.
How many people are named Berlie?
Want to know how many Americans are named Berlie? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.