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

Berden, 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 Berden surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Berden in America

Berden is the 80131st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Berden surname appeared 237 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Berden.

We can also compare 2010 data for Berden 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 Berden

The surname Berden is believed to have originated in England during the medieval period. It is derived from the Old English words "bere" meaning barley and "dun" meaning hill, suggesting that the name may have referred to someone who lived on or near a barley-covered hill.

Early records show various spellings of the name, such as Bereden, Beredun, and Beredene, reflecting the evolution of the English language over time. The name appears in the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a comprehensive survey of landholdings across England commissioned by William the Conqueror.

One of the earliest recorded bearers of the name was Robert de Beredene, who was mentioned in the Pipe Rolls of Lincolnshire in 1195. These rolls were medieval financial records maintained by the English Exchequer.

Another notable figure with the surname Berden was John Bereden, a English landowner and member of the gentry in Hertfordshire during the 14th century. He is mentioned in various historical documents related to land transactions and legal proceedings.

In the 16th century, the name was associated with the village of Berden in Essex, England. This place name likely evolved from the surname itself, reflecting the establishment of a family or community bearing the Berden name in that location.

One of the most prominent individuals with the surname Berden was Sir John Berden (1564-1625), an English politician who served as a Member of Parliament for Colchester in 1597 and 1601. He was also a successful merchant and landowner in Essex.

Another notable figure was Thomas Berden (1610-1679), an English clergyman who served as the Rector of Littlebury in Essex and was known for his religious writings and sermons.

In the 18th century, the name was relatively uncommon, but there are records of individuals such as William Berden (1712-1785), a farmer and landowner in Hertfordshire, and John Berden (1745-1810), a merchant and ship owner from Bristol.

Throughout its history, the surname Berden has maintained a strong connection to its English roots, particularly in the counties of Essex, Hertfordshire, and Lincolnshire, where it has been most prevalent.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Berden

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

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 Berden 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 Berden 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 Berden was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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