2000
#3,048
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 10,908
First available Census row
Per 100,000 4.04
Uncommon Last name
Beers
Derived from Middle English "bere," referring to someone who lived near a grove or wood of berry-bearing trees.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 11,987 Americans carry the last name Beers. That puts it at #3,354 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 3.50 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 28,594 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Beers surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Beers with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
12K
1 in 28,594
Census rank
#3,354
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
3.5
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
10K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 10,453 bearers of the surname Beers in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 3.50 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 3354th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Beers, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.3%) and Hispanic (3.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Beers
The surname "BEERS" is of English origin, and it is believed to have emerged as an occupational name in the Middle Ages. It is derived from the Old English word "bere," meaning barley, and it was likely initially given to someone involved in the production or trade of beer.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of land and property ownership in England commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. The name appears as "Bere" in this historical document, suggesting that it was already in use by that time.
During the medieval period, the surname was often associated with individuals living in or near areas known for brewing or barley cultivation. For instance, the village of Bere Regis in Dorset, England, was once a prominent center for brewing, and it is possible that some individuals from this region adopted the surname "BEERS."
As the surname evolved over time, various spellings emerged, including "Beer," "Bere," and "Bere." These variations were not uncommon, as spelling conventions were not standardized until much later.
One notable figure with the surname "BEERS" was John Beers (1579-1667), an English colonist who settled in Massachusetts Bay Colony in the early 17th century. He is considered one of the founders of the town of Stratford, Connecticut, and his descendants went on to play influential roles in the development of the region.
Another individual of historical significance was Richard Beers (1743-1825), an American revolutionary soldier who fought in the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War. He was awarded a prestigious military honor, the Badge of Military Merit, for his bravery and service.
In the literary realm, Henry Addington Beers (1847-1926) was a renowned American educator, critic, and author. He served as a professor of English literature at Yale University and wrote several influential works on literary criticism, including "A History of English Romanticism in the Nineteenth Century."
The surname "BEERS" can also be traced back to prominent figures in the arts and sciences. For example, William Beers (1841-1900) was an American painter known for his landscape and genre scenes, while Clifford Whittingham Beers (1876-1943) was a pioneering mental health advocate whose autobiographical work, "A Mind That Found Itself," helped shape the modern mental health movement.
Throughout history, the surname "BEERS" has been borne by individuals from various walks of life, from early settlers and soldiers to scholars and artists. While its origins can be traced back to the brewing and barley trades of medieval England, the name has since spread across the globe, carrying with it a rich tapestry of stories and experiences.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Beers
Among Census respondents with the surname Beers, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.3%) and Hispanic (3.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Beers bearers 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 surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Beers surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.9% · 9,607
- Two or more races3.3% · 350
- Hispanic or Latino3.3% · 342
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 77
- Black or African American0.4% · 44
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 33
Timeline
Historical Census data for Beers
Beers appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#3,268
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 11,043
+135 bearers (+1.2%)
Per 100,000 3.74
Rank movement Down 220 places
2020
#3,354
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 10,453
-590 bearers (-5.3%)
Per 100,000 3.50
Rank movement Down 86 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #3,048 | 10,908 | 4.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #3,268 | 11,043 | 3.74 | +135 bearers (+1.2%) | Down 220 places |
| 2020 | #3,354 | 10,453 | 3.50 | -590 bearers (-5.3%) | Down 86 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Beers surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #3,268 | #3,354 | -2.6% |
| Count | 11,043 | 10,453 | -5.3% |
| Per 100K | 3.74 | 3.50 | -6.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Beers bearers went from 11,043 to 10,453 (-5.3% change). The surname moved down 86 positions in the national ranking, going from #3,268 to #3,354.
FAQ
Beers surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Beers?
Name Census estimates that about 11,987 living Americans carry the surname Beers. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 28,594 residents.
How common is Beers?
Beers ranks #3,354 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 3.50 per 100,000 residents, which is about 3 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 10,453 people with the surname Beers. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (11,987), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 3.5 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 3.50 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 3 of them to have the surname Beers.
Has Beers become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Beers went from 11,043 recorded bearers to 10,453. That is a decrease of 590 (-5.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #3,268 to #3,354.
What does the Census say about the background of Beers?
Among Census respondents with the surname Beers, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.3%) and Hispanic (3.3%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Beers in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.9% (9,607 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Beers appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.9%), Two or More Races (3.3%), Hispanic (3.3%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Beers (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Beers mean?
Derived from Middle English "bere," referring to someone who lived near a grove or wood of berry-bearing trees. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Beers (3.50 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people have the last name Beers?
See how many people have the surname Beers on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.