2010
#154,907
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 105
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Berec
A surname derived from the Slavic word 'bor', meaning 'pine tree'.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 132 Americans carry the last name Berec. That puts it at #145,757 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,596,624 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Berec 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
132
1 in 2,596,624
Census rank
#145,757
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
115
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 115 bearers of the surname Berec in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 145757th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Berec, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 78.3%. The next largest groups are White (18.3%) and Two or More Races (2.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Berec
The surname Berec has its origins in the Slavic region of Eastern Europe, specifically in the areas that now comprise modern-day Poland and parts of western Ukraine. The name is believed to have emerged during the late medieval period, around the 14th or 15th century.
One theory suggests that Berec is derived from the Slavic root word "berek," which refers to a thicket or a small grove of trees. This connection implies that the name may have initially referred to someone who lived near or worked in such a wooded area.
Another possible origin traces the name back to the Old Polish word "bereka," meaning a type of fur or pelt. In this context, the surname Berec could have been initially associated with individuals involved in the fur trade or those who worked as furriers.
The earliest recorded instances of the name Berec can be found in various historical documents from the region, including church records and land registries dating back to the 15th and 16th centuries. One notable example is Jan Berec, a landowner mentioned in a 1487 deed from the town of Krakow, Poland.
In the 17th century, the name appeared in the records of the Polish nobility, with a certain Marcin Berec being granted a coat of arms by King Sigismund III Vasa in 1621. This suggests that some families bearing the Berec surname had achieved a degree of social standing and recognition during that period.
Over the centuries, several individuals with the surname Berec have left their mark in various fields. One such figure was Jakub Berec (1598-1667), a Polish theologian and professor at the University of Krakow, known for his contributions to the study of canon law.
Another notable bearer of the name was Franciszek Berec (1718-1792), a Polish architect and sculptor who designed several churches and public buildings in the city of Lviv, which was then part of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth.
In the 19th century, the Berec surname was carried by Teodor Berec (1823-1887), a Polish writer and poet who played a significant role in the literary and cultural movements of his time.
The name Berec also found its way into Russian history, with Ivan Berec (1856-1924) being a prominent industrialist and philanthropist who established several factories and supported educational institutions in the city of Moscow.
It is worth noting that various spelling variations of the surname, such as Berek, Berezc, and Berecz, have also been documented throughout history, reflecting the linguistic and cultural diversity of the regions where the name has been present.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Berec
Among Census respondents with the surname Berec, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 78.3%. The next largest groups are White (18.3%) and Two or More Races (2.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Berec 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 Berec surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino78.3% · 90
- White18.3% · 21
- Two or more races2.6% · 3
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Berec
Berec appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#145,757
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 115
+10 bearers (+9.5%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 9,150 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #154,907 | 105 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #145,757 | 115 | 0.04 | +10 bearers (+9.5%) | Up 9,150 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 Berec 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 | #154,907 | #145,757 | 5.9% |
| Count | 105 | 115 | 9.5% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -3.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Berec bearers went from 105 to 115 (+9.5% change). The surname moved up 9,150 positions in the national ranking, going from #154,907 to #145,757.
FAQ
Berec surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Berec?
Name Census estimates that about 132 living Americans carry the surname Berec. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,596,624 residents.
How common is Berec?
Berec ranks #145,757 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 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 115 people with the surname Berec. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (132), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 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 Berec.
Has Berec become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Berec went from 105 recorded bearers to 115. That is an increase of 10 (+9.5%). In the national ranking it rose from #154,907 to #145,757.
What does the Census say about the background of Berec?
Among Census respondents with the surname Berec, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 78.3%. The next largest groups are White (18.3%) and Two or More Races (2.6%). 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?
Hispanic is the largest self-reported group for the surname Berec in the 2020 Census, accounting for 78.3% (90 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Berec appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (78.3%), White (18.3%), Two or More Races (2.6%). 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 Berec (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 Berec mean?
A surname derived from the Slavic word 'bor', meaning 'pine tree'. 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 Berec (0.04 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 are called Berec?
Find out how common the surname Berec is on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.