2000
#9,397
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,178
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.18
Rare Last name
Berens
A surname of German origin referring to someone who lived near berry bushes or worked as a berry picker.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,559 Americans carry the last name Berens. That puts it at #9,930 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 96,306 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Berens 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
3.6K
1 in 96,306
Census rank
#9,930
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.1K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,104 bearers of the surname Berens in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 9930th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Berens, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.1%) and Hispanic (2.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Berens
The surname Berens is of German origin and dates back to the 14th century. It is believed to have originated from the Low German or Dutch word "beren," meaning "bear." The name is thought to have been initially used as a nickname for someone with a strong, bear-like physique or temperament.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Berens surname can be found in the German city of Hannover in the late 14th century. During this time, the name appeared in various municipal records and legal documents with different spellings, such as Beren, Berne, and Berens.
In the 16th century, the Berens family gained prominence in the region of East Prussia, which is now part of modern-day Poland and Russia. Several members of the family served as local officials and landowners during this period. Notably, Hans Berens (1525-1592) was a respected magistrate and judge in the city of Königsberg.
The Berens surname also has a long history in the Netherlands, where it can be traced back to the 17th century. One notable bearer of the name was Dirck Berens (1590-1648), a Dutch merchant and trader who played a significant role in the establishment of the Dutch East India Company.
In the late 18th century, a branch of the Berens family migrated to England, where they established themselves as successful bankers and businessmen. One of the most prominent figures of this era was Alexander Berens (1765-1833), a wealthy merchant and banker who served as the governor of the Bank of England from 1815 to 1816.
Another notable individual with the Berens surname was Wilhelm Berens (1786-1850), a German philosopher and educator who made significant contributions to the field of pedagogy. His works, such as "The Principles of the Art of Teaching" (1835), were widely influential in the 19th century.
In the 20th century, the name Berens gained further recognition with individuals like Günther Berens (1919-2007), a German actor and film director who appeared in numerous films and television productions throughout his career.
Throughout history, the Berens surname has been associated with various locations and place names, including Berensdorf, a village in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany, and Berensberg, a hill in the Dutch province of Limburg.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Berens
Among Census respondents with the surname Berens, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.1%) and Hispanic (2.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Berens 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 Berens surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.7% · 2,878
- Two or more races3.1% · 96
- Hispanic or Latino2.8% · 87
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.6% · 19
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 16
- Black or African American0.3% · 8
Timeline
Historical Census data for Berens
Berens 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
#9,421
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,452
+274 bearers (+8.6%)
Per 100,000 1.17
Rank movement Down 24 places
2020
#9,930
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,104
-348 bearers (-10.1%)
Per 100,000 1.04
Rank movement Down 509 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #9,397 | 3,178 | 1.18 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #9,421 | 3,452 | 1.17 | +274 bearers (+8.6%) | Down 24 places |
| 2020 | #9,930 | 3,104 | 1.04 | -348 bearers (-10.1%) | Down 509 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 Berens 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 | #9,421 | #9,930 | -5.4% |
| Count | 3,452 | 3,104 | -10.1% |
| Per 100K | 1.17 | 1.04 | -11.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Berens bearers went from 3,452 to 3,104 (-10.1% change). The surname moved down 509 positions in the national ranking, going from #9,421 to #9,930.
FAQ
Berens surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Berens?
Name Census estimates that about 3,559 living Americans carry the surname Berens. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 96,306 residents.
How common is Berens?
Berens ranks #9,930 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 3,104 people with the surname Berens. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,559), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Berens.
Has Berens become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Berens went from 3,452 recorded bearers to 3,104. That is a decrease of 348 (-10.1%). In the national ranking it fell from #9,421 to #9,930.
What does the Census say about the background of Berens?
Among Census respondents with the surname Berens, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.1%) and Hispanic (2.8%). 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 Berens in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.7% (2,878 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Berens appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.7%), Two or More Races (3.1%), Hispanic (2.8%). 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 Berens (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 Berens mean?
A surname of German origin referring to someone who lived near berry bushes or worked as a berry picker. 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 Berens (1.04 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 common is the surname Berens?
You can see how many people have the last name Berens on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.