Bérenger last name popularity, history, and meaning

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

Meaning of Bérenger

A French surname derived from the given name Berenger, ultimately from Germanic elements meaning "bear" and "spear."

Bérenger, 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 Bérenger surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Bérenger in America

Bérenger is the 111426th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Bérenger surname appeared 158 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 Bérenger.

We can also compare 2010 data for Bérenger 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.

2010 2000 Change (%)
Rank 111426 105374 5.58%
Count 158 157 0.63%
Proportion per 100k 0.05 0.06 -18.18%

The history of the last name Bérenger

The surname Berenger is of Old French origin, derived from the Germanic personal name Berengarius, which itself comes from the elements "bera" meaning "bear" and "gari" meaning "spear". It is believed to have originated in the regions of Normandy and Brittany in northern France during the medieval period.

The earliest recorded instances of the name Berenger can be found in the Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of England commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. Several individuals bearing variations of the name, such as Berenger and Berengarius, are listed as landowners and tenants in various counties across the country.

One notable individual who bore this surname was Berenger I, the Count of Provence from 1112 to 1144. He played a significant role in the political and military affairs of southern France during the 12th century, participating in the Second Crusade and engaging in conflicts with the County of Barcelona.

Another historical figure was Berenger II of Navarre, who ruled as the Count of Navarre from 1191 to 1234. He was a key figure in the Reconquista, the centuries-long campaign to reclaim the Iberian Peninsula from Moorish rule, and was instrumental in the expansion of the Kingdom of Navarre during his reign.

In the realm of literature, Berenger de Tours was a 12th-century French poet and trouvère, known for his contributions to the development of courtly love poetry. His works were widely circulated and influential in the literary circles of medieval France.

The surname Berenger also has connections to various place names throughout Europe. For instance, the village of Berenger in the department of Marne, France, likely derived its name from an early bearer of the surname. Similarly, the town of Berengarville in Normandy may have originated from a landowner with the name Berenger or a variation thereof.

Over the centuries, the surname Berenger has undergone various spelling variations, including Berenger, Berengier, Beringer, and Beringar, among others. These variations were often influenced by regional dialects and scribal practices in different parts of Europe where the name was present.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Bérenger

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

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 Bérenger was:

Race/Ethnicity Percentage Total Occurrences
Non-Hispanic White Only 84.81% 134
Non-Hispanic Black Only 0.00% 0
Non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander Only (S)% (S)
Non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaskan Native 0.00% 0
Non-Hispanic of Two or More Races (S)% (S)
Hispanic Origin 12.66% 20

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 Bérenger has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

2010 2000 Change (%)
White 84.81% 85.35% -0.63%
Black 0.00% (S)% (S)%
Asian and Pacific Islander (S)% 4.46% (S)%
American Indian and Alaskan Native 0.00% 0.00% 0.00%
Two or More Races (S)% (S)% (S)%
Hispanic 12.66% 7.64% 49.46%

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

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

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