Find out how popular the last name Behr is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Behr.

Behr, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Behr surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Behr in America

Behr is the 8659th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Behr surname appeared 3,795 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Behr.

We can also compare 2010 data for Behr to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Behr

The surname BEHR is of German origin, with its roots dating back to the Middle Ages. It is believed to have derived from the Old German word "bero," meaning "bear," suggesting that the name may have initially been used as a nickname or descriptive term for someone who possessed bear-like qualities or lived in an area populated by bears.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the BEHR surname can be found in the "Codex Diplomaticus Anhaltinus," a collection of historical documents from the Anhalt region in Germany, dating back to the 12th century. This document mentions a certain "Bero de Velwen" in 1184, suggesting that the BEHR surname may have been in use as early as the 12th century.

During the 13th and 14th centuries, the BEHR surname appeared in various historical records across various regions of Germany, including the "Traditiones Fuldenses" from the Fulda Abbey and the "Codex Diplomaticus Saxoniae Regiae" from Saxony. These records often mentioned individuals with the BEHR surname in connection with land ownership and legal transactions.

One notable historical figure bearing the BEHR surname was Johann Balthasar Behr (1675-1738), a German lawyer and legal scholar who served as a judge in the Imperial Chamber Court of the Holy Roman Empire. His influential work, "De Jure Principis Civitatis Evangelicae," published in 1717, addressed legal issues concerning Protestant territories within the Holy Roman Empire.

In the realm of art, the BEHR surname is associated with the German painter and engraver Joachim Franz Behr (1639-1698), known for his religious and allegorical works. His engravings and etchings, such as "The Crucifixion" and "The Life of the Virgin Mary," are highly regarded and can be found in various art collections around the world.

Another notable figure was the German botanist and entomologist Wilhelm Behr (1775-1853), who made significant contributions to the study of insects and plants. He was involved in the exploration and documentation of the natural flora and fauna of Russia and is credited with discovering several new species of insects.

In the 19th century, the BEHR surname gained prominence in the United States, particularly in Texas. One notable individual was Herman Behr (1819-1904), a German-American entomologist who extensively studied the insect life of California and was instrumental in establishing the California Academy of Sciences in San Francisco.

Throughout history, the BEHR surname has been associated with various variations and spellings, such as Behr, Beehr, Bere, and Bere, reflecting regional dialects and language variations within Germany and other parts of Europe.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Behr

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Behr.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Behr was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Behr has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Behr was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Behr, please contact us.

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