Berthal
A masculine Old German name meaning "bright ruler" or "noble ruler".
Name Census estimates that about 1 living Americans carry the first name Berthal. It appears on both sides of the gender split, with 73.9% of registrations being male. The average person named Berthal today is around 119 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Berthal births was 1925 (7 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Berthal. 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 Berthal is about 119 years old today, placing it firmly among the names of earlier generations. Most living Berthals were born before 1917.
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Berthal. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
1
~ 1 in 342,754,338 Americans
Peak year
1925
7 babies that year
Average age
119
years old
1934 SSA rank
#1,679
Tracked since 1904
Gender
Gender distribution for Berthal
Berthal is one of the more evenly split names in the SSA data. Of the 23 total registrations, 17 (73.9%) were male and 6 (26.1%) were female.
Berthal as a male name
- Ranked #3,720 in 1934
- 5 male births in 1934
- Peak: 1925 (7 births)
Berthal as a female name
- Ranked #1,679 in 1904
- 6 female births in 1904
- Peak: 1904 (6 births)
Popularity
Berthal: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Berthal from the 1900s through to the 1930s, spanning 4 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1920s, with 7 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 1920s peak, Berthal remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Berthal 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 Berthal during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Berthals live
Origin
Meaning and history of Berthal
The given name Berthal is of Germanic origin, tracing its roots back to the medieval period. It derives from the Old German words "berht," meaning bright or shining, and "hald," signifying brave or bold. This combination reflects the desired qualities of a strong and radiant individual.
Berthal was primarily used in regions where Germanic languages were spoken, such as parts of modern-day Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. Early variants of the name included Berthald, Berthold, and Berethold, with slight variations in spelling and pronunciation across different regions.
While no direct references to the name Berthal have been found in ancient texts or religious scriptures, it is believed to have been in use among the common folk during the Middle Ages. The earliest recorded instance of the name dates back to the 9th century, when a Berthal was mentioned as a nobleman in the Carolingian Empire.
Among the notable individuals who bore the name Berthal throughout history, a few stand out. Berthal of Konstanz (c. 950 - 1022) was a renowned German bishop and scholar who made significant contributions to the development of canon law. Berthal von Merania (c. 1180 - 1251) was a powerful nobleman and landowner in medieval Bavaria, known for his role in the Crusades.
In the realm of literature, Berthal Auerbach (1812 - 1882) was a German-Jewish novelist and playwright who gained recognition for his portrayal of village life in the Black Forest region. Berthal Ohm (1792 - 1872), a German mathematician and physicist, is remembered for his groundbreaking work on electrical circuits and the formulation of Ohm's law.
Another notable figure was Berthal Schwarz (1492 - 1566), a German monk and alchemist who is credited with the accidental discovery of gunpowder in Europe, although this claim has been disputed by some historians.
While the name Berthal may not be as common today as it once was, its rich historical roots and associations with bravery, radiance, and scholarly pursuits make it a unique and evocative choice.
People
Berthal + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Berthal 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
Berthal: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Berthal?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 1 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Berthal 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 342,754,338 US residents.
Is Berthal a common name?
We classify Berthal as "Very Rare". It ranks above 3.8% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 23 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Berthal most popular?
The single biggest year for Berthal was 1925, when 7 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Berthal is about 119 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
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 Berthal in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Berthal a male name?
Yes, 73.9% of people registered as Berthal 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 Berthal still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Berthal 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 Berthal 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.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How many people are named Berthal?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.