2000
#140,756
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 109
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Behrer
An occupational surname referring to brewers or beer makers.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 119 Americans carry the last name Behrer. That puts it at #153,590 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,880,289 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Behrer 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.
Bearers in the US
119
1 in 2,880,289
Census rank
#153,590
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
104
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 104 bearers of the surname Behrer in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 153590th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Behrer, the largest self-reported group is White at 100.0%.
Origin
Meaning and origin of Behrer
The surname Behrer is believed to have originated in Germany, with the earliest recorded instances dating back to the 16th century. It is thought to be derived from the German word "Beere," which means "berry," suggesting that the name may have been an occupational surname for someone who worked with or sold berries.
One of the earliest documented uses of the name Behrer can be found in the church records of Saxony, where a Johannes Behrer was recorded in 1562. This suggests that the name was already established in parts of Germany by the mid-16th century.
In the 17th century, the name appears in various records across different regions of Germany, indicating its spread and establishment as a surname. For instance, a Hans Behrer was mentioned in the town records of Ulm in 1621, while a Christoph Behrer was recorded in the parish registers of Nuremberg in 1678.
While the surname Behrer does not appear to be associated with any significant historical figures or events, it is worth noting that there were several notable individuals who bore this name throughout history. One such person was Johann Gottfried Behrer, a German composer and organist who lived from 1638 to 1716. He was known for his work in the Baroque period and served as the organist at the Marienkirche in Halle, Germany.
Another individual of note was Karl Friedrich Behrer, a German artist and engraver who lived from 1806 to 1886. He was known for his skilled etchings and engravings, particularly of landscapes and architectural subjects.
In the 19th century, the surname Behrer was found in various parts of Europe, including Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. One notable bearer of the name from this period was August Behrer, a German architect who lived from 1849 to 1920. He was responsible for designing several notable buildings in Berlin, including the Märkisches Museum and the Luisenstädtische Realgymnasium.
Moving into the 20th century, one of the most prominent individuals with the surname Behrer was Hans Behrer, a German politician and member of the Nazi Party. He served as the Gauleiter (regional leader) of Gau Westphalia-South from 1933 to 1945.
While the surname Behrer may not be as widely recognized as some others, it has a long and interesting history that can be traced back several centuries in various parts of Germany. Its origins and associations with occupations, as well as the contributions of notable individuals who bore this name, make it a fascinating subject for study and exploration.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Behrer
Among Census respondents with the surname Behrer, the largest self-reported group is White at 100.0%.
The bar chart below shows how Behrer 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 Behrer surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White100.0% · 104
Timeline
Historical Census data for Behrer
Behrer 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
#148,347
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 111
+2 bearers (+1.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 7,591 places
2020
#153,590
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 104
-7 bearers (-6.3%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 5,243 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #140,756 | 109 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #148,347 | 111 | 0.04 | +2 bearers (+1.8%) | Down 7,591 places |
| 2020 | #153,590 | 104 | 0.03 | -7 bearers (-6.3%) | Down 5,243 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 Behrer 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 | #148,347 | #153,590 | -3.5% |
| Count | 111 | 104 | -6.3% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.03 | -13.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Behrer bearers went from 111 to 104 (-6.3% change). The surname moved down 5,243 positions in the national ranking, going from #148,347 to #153,590.
FAQ
Behrer surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Behrer?
Name Census estimates that about 119 living Americans carry the surname Behrer. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,880,289 residents.
How common is Behrer?
Behrer ranks #153,590 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 104 people with the surname Behrer. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (119), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.03 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Behrer.
Has Behrer become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Behrer went from 111 recorded bearers to 104. That is a decrease of 7 (-6.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #148,347 to #153,590.
What does the Census say about the background of Behrer?
Among Census respondents with the surname Behrer, the largest self-reported group is White at 100.0%. 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 Behrer in the 2020 Census, accounting for 100.0% (104 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Behrer appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (100.0%). 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 Behrer (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 Behrer mean?
An occupational surname referring to brewers or beer makers. 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 Behrer (0.03 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 Americans have the surname Behrer?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.