2000
#140,756
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 109
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Bergant
A surname derived from a Germanic personal name or occupational term related to mountains or hills.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 123 Americans carry the last name Bergant. That puts it at #151,639 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,786,621 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Bergant 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
123
1 in 2,786,621
Census rank
#151,639
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
107
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 107 bearers of the surname Bergant in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 151639th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Bergant, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.5%. The next largest groups are Black (4.7%) and Hispanic (0.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Bergant
The surname "BERGANT" has its origins in the Slovenian language and can be traced back to the 14th century in the region that is now modern-day Slovenia. The name is believed to be derived from the Slovene word "breg," which means "hill" or "slope," suggesting that the earliest bearers of this surname may have lived in hilly or mountainous areas.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name "BERGANT" appears in a land registry document from the year 1387, which mentions a certain "Jakob Bergant" as a landowner in the village of Kranj, located in the Upper Carniola region of what was then the Duchy of Carniola, part of the Holy Roman Empire.
In the 16th century, the name "BERGANT" can be found in various church records and municipal documents from towns and villages across central Slovenia, indicating that the name had spread and become more widespread by that time.
A notable bearer of the surname "BERGANT" was Janez Bergant (1580-1648), a Slovenian poet and translator who is considered one of the pioneers of Slovenian literature. His works, including translations of religious texts and original poetry, were influential in the development of the Slovenian literary language.
Another prominent figure with the surname "BERGANT" was Franc Bergant (1790-1859), a Slovenian lawyer and politician who played a significant role in the Slovenian national awakening movement in the early 19th century. He was a proponent of Slovenian cultural and linguistic rights and worked to promote the use of the Slovenian language in education and administration.
In the 20th century, one of the most renowned individuals bearing the surname "BERGANT" was Josip Bergant (1911-1989), a Slovenian composer and conductor who made significant contributions to Slovenian classical music. His compositions, which range from orchestral works to choral pieces, are widely performed and celebrated in Slovenia and beyond.
Other notable individuals with the surname "BERGANT" include Marija Bergant (1868-1934), a Slovenian writer and women's rights activist, and Miha Bergant (1924-2006), a Slovenian painter and graphic artist whose works are part of several important art collections in Slovenia.
While the surname "BERGANT" is most commonly found in Slovenia, it has also spread to other parts of the world through migration, with individuals bearing this name residing in various countries, particularly in Europe and North America.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Bergant
Among Census respondents with the surname Bergant, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.5%. The next largest groups are Black (4.7%) and Hispanic (0.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Bergant 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 Bergant surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White93.5% · 100
- Black or African American4.7% · 5
- Hispanic or Latino0.9% · 1
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Bergant
Bergant 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
#137,327
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 122
+13 bearers (+11.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 3,429 places
2020
#151,639
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 107
-15 bearers (-12.3%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 14,312 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #140,756 | 109 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #137,327 | 122 | 0.04 | +13 bearers (+11.9%) | Up 3,429 places |
| 2020 | #151,639 | 107 | 0.04 | -15 bearers (-12.3%) | Down 14,312 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 Bergant 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 | #137,327 | #151,639 | -10.4% |
| Count | 122 | 107 | -12.3% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -10.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Bergant bearers went from 122 to 107 (-12.3% change). The surname moved down 14,312 positions in the national ranking, going from #137,327 to #151,639.
FAQ
Bergant surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Bergant?
Name Census estimates that about 123 living Americans carry the surname Bergant. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,786,621 residents.
How common is Bergant?
Bergant ranks #151,639 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 107 people with the surname Bergant. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (123), 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 Bergant.
Has Bergant become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Bergant went from 122 recorded bearers to 107. That is a decrease of 15 (-12.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #137,327 to #151,639.
What does the Census say about the background of Bergant?
Among Census respondents with the surname Bergant, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.5%. The next largest groups are Black (4.7%) and Hispanic (0.9%). 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 Bergant in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.5% (100 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Bergant appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (93.5%), Black (4.7%), Hispanic (0.9%). 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 Bergant (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 Bergant mean?
A surname derived from a Germanic personal name or occupational term related to mountains or hills. 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 Bergant (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 have the last name Bergant?
For a quick modern take, check how many people have the last name Bergant on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.