Bernt
Bear-bright or illustrious bear, a German given name.
Name Census estimates that about 10 living Americans carry the first name Bernt. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Bernt today is around 54 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Bernt births was 1927 (5 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Bernt. 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
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Bernt. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
10
~ 1 in 34,275,434 Americans
Peak year
1927
5 babies that year
Average age
54
years old
1983 SSA rank
#6,341
Tracked since 1927
Popularity
Bernt: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Bernt from the 1920s through to the 1980s, spanning 4 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1980s, with 5 total registrations. The name continues to be given at rates close to its all-time high, suggesting it has not yet fallen out of fashion.
Babies born per year
Decades
Bernt 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 Bernt 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 Bernt
The name Bernt has its origins in the Old Norse language, which was spoken by the Scandinavian people during the Viking Age from around the 8th to the 11th centuries. It is derived from the Old Norse elements "bern," meaning "bear," and the suffix "-t," which was a common patronymic ending. The name essentially means "son of the bear."
The name was particularly popular in Norway, Sweden, and Denmark during the Middle Ages. It is believed to have been inspired by the reverence for the bear in Norse mythology, where it was associated with strength, courage, and ferocity in battle.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Icelandic Landnámabók, a medieval manuscript that documents the settlement of Iceland in the 9th and 10th centuries. The text mentions a settler named Bernt Ketilsson, who was among the first Norwegians to establish a homestead on the island.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Bernt. One of the most famous was Bernt Anker (1551-1628), a Norwegian nobleman and military commander who played a crucial role in the Kalmar War between Denmark-Norway and Sweden in the early 17th century.
Another prominent figure was Bernt Mikael Holmboe (1795-1850), a Norwegian mathematician and physicist who made significant contributions to the fields of geodesy and cartography. He was also a renowned educator and served as the rector of the University of Oslo.
In the realm of literature, Bernt Lie (1868-1916) was a celebrated Norwegian novelist and playwright, known for his works that explored themes of social realism and the struggles of the working class.
Bernt Balchen (1899-1994), a Norwegian-American aviator, gained fame as a pioneer of polar aviation and for his daring rescues in the Arctic regions during the early 20th century.
Lastly, Bernt Evensen (1923-2002) was a highly respected Norwegian diplomat and lawyer who served as the Secretary-General of the Council of Europe from 1972 to 1984, playing a vital role in promoting human rights and democracy across the continent.
Notable bearers
Famous people named Bernt
People
Bernt + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Bernt 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
Bernt: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Bernt?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 10 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Bernt 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 34,275,434 US residents.
Is Bernt a common name?
We classify Bernt as "Very Rare". It ranks above 28.5% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 20 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Bernt most popular?
The single biggest year for Bernt was 1927, when 5 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Bernt is about 54 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Bernt a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Bernt 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.
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.