2000
#136,783
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 113
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Berenberg
A German surname derived from the name of the town Berenburg, meaning "mountain stronghold."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 118 Americans carry the last name Berenberg. That puts it at #154,182 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,904,698 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Berenberg 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
118
1 in 2,904,698
Census rank
#154,182
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
103
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 103 bearers of the surname Berenberg in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 154182nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Berenberg, the largest self-reported group is White at 99.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (1.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Berenberg
The surname Berenberg is of German origin, with roots that can be traced back to the 16th century. It is believed to have originated in the northern regions of Germany, particularly in the areas around the city of Hamburg.
One theory suggests that the name Berenberg is derived from the Old German words "berg," meaning hill or mountain, and "burg," meaning fortress or castle. This combination could indicate that the name's earliest bearers may have lived near or been associated with a fortified settlement on a hill or mountainous terrain.
Another possibility is that the name is a locational surname, referring to a specific place or geographic feature. In this case, it may have originated from a place called Berenberg, which could have been a small village, hamlet, or even a landmark in the region.
Historical records show that the name Berenberg appeared in various German manuscripts and documents from the 16th century onwards. One notable mention is found in the records of the Hanseatic League, a powerful commercial and defensive confederation of merchant guilds and market towns in Northern Europe during the Late Middle Ages and Early modern period.
One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname Berenberg was Johann Berenberg, a merchant and trader who lived in Hamburg in the late 16th century (c. 1560-1630). He was a prominent member of the city's mercantile community and played a significant role in the economic affairs of the Hanseatic League.
Another notable figure was Philipp Berenberg (1615-1683), a successful banker and financier in Hamburg. He was instrumental in establishing the city's reputation as a major financial center and laid the foundations for the Berenberg banking dynasty, which continues to this day.
In the 18th century, Johann Hinrich Berenberg (1718-1789) was a prominent merchant, banker, and shipowner in Hamburg. He contributed significantly to the city's maritime trade and played a pivotal role in the expansion of the Berenberg family's business interests.
Moving into the 19th century, Johann August Berenberg (1805-1873) was a respected banker and philanthropist. He was actively involved in various charitable initiatives and supported numerous educational and cultural institutions in Hamburg.
Finally, John von Berenberg-Gossler (1866-1943) was a renowned diplomat and statesman from Hamburg. He served as the German ambassador to the United States from 1909 to 1917 and played a crucial role in shaping diplomatic relations between the two countries during a turbulent period in history.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Berenberg
Among Census respondents with the surname Berenberg, the largest self-reported group is White at 99.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (1.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Berenberg 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 Berenberg surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White99.0% · 102
- Two or more races1.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Berenberg
Berenberg 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
#146,201
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 113
+0 bearers (+0.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 9,418 places
2020
#154,182
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 103
-10 bearers (-8.8%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 7,981 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #136,783 | 113 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #146,201 | 113 | 0.04 | +0 bearers (+0.0%) | Down 9,418 places |
| 2020 | #154,182 | 103 | 0.03 | -10 bearers (-8.8%) | Down 7,981 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 Berenberg 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 | #146,201 | #154,182 | -5.5% |
| Count | 113 | 103 | -8.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.03 | -13.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Berenberg bearers went from 113 to 103 (-8.8% change). The surname moved down 7,981 positions in the national ranking, going from #146,201 to #154,182.
FAQ
Berenberg surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Berenberg?
Name Census estimates that about 118 living Americans carry the surname Berenberg. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,904,698 residents.
How common is Berenberg?
Berenberg ranks #154,182 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 103 people with the surname Berenberg. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (118), 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 Berenberg.
Has Berenberg become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Berenberg went from 113 recorded bearers to 103. That is a decrease of 10 (-8.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #146,201 to #154,182.
What does the Census say about the background of Berenberg?
Among Census respondents with the surname Berenberg, the largest self-reported group is White at 99.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (1.0%). 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 Berenberg in the 2020 Census, accounting for 99.0% (102 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Berenberg appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (99.0%), Two or More Races (1.0%). 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 Berenberg (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 Berenberg mean?
A German surname derived from the name of the town Berenburg, meaning "mountain stronghold." 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 Berenberg (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 people share the surname Berenberg?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.