2000
#99,725
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 168
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.06
Very Rare Last name
Bergbower
A Germanic surname derived from elements meaning "mountain" and "dweller."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 240 Americans carry the last name Bergbower. That puts it at #93,963 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.07 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 1,428,143 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Bergbower 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
240
1 in 1,428,143
Census rank
#93,963
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
209
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 209 bearers of the surname Bergbower in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.07 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 93963rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Bergbower, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.4%) and Black (1.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Bergbower
The surname Bergbower is of German origin, originating in the medieval period around the 12th century. It is derived from the German words "Berg," meaning mountain, and "Bauer," meaning farmer or peasant. This suggests that the name may have been originally associated with those who lived and worked on the slopes of mountains or in mountainous regions.
The earliest known recorded instances of the Bergbower surname can be traced back to the late 13th century in several German regional records and chronicles. One notable mention is found in the Annals of Regensburg, dated 1278, which references a "Heinrich Bergbower" as a landowner in the Bavarian region.
In the 14th century, the name appears in various forms, including "Bergbauer," "Bergbawer," and "Bergbouwer," reflecting the regional dialects and spelling variations of the time. The consistency of the "Berg" component indicates a strong connection to mountainous areas or settlements near mountains.
During the 16th century, the Bergbower surname is found in several historical documents related to the German Reformation. One notable figure was Johann Bergbower (1490-1564), a Lutheran theologian and reformer who played a role in the spread of Protestant teachings in the region of Saxony.
The 17th century saw the migration of many Germans, including those with the Bergbower surname, to other parts of Europe and even to the New World. One such individual was Hans Bergbower (1632-1698), who settled in the Dutch colony of New Netherland (present-day New York) and is recorded as one of the earliest landowners in what is now Brooklyn.
In the 18th century, the Bergbower name continued to spread across Europe and the Americas. Notably, Johann Bergbower (1720-1792) was a prominent merchant and landowner in the German state of Hesse, while Wilhelm Bergbower (1745-1823) was a respected physician and professor at the University of Göttingen.
As the centuries progressed, the Bergbower surname became more widely dispersed, with notable bearers emerging in various fields and regions. However, the name's roots can be traced back to its German origins, reflecting a connection to mountainous areas and the agricultural heritage of its earliest bearers.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Bergbower
Among Census respondents with the surname Bergbower, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.4%) and Black (1.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Bergbower 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 Bergbower surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White96.2% · 201
- Two or more races2.4% · 5
- Black or African American1.0% · 2
- Hispanic or Latino0.5% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Bergbower
Bergbower 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
#95,955
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 190
+22 bearers (+13.1%)
Per 100,000 0.06
Rank movement Up 3,770 places
2020
#93,963
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 209
+19 bearers (+10.0%)
Per 100,000 0.07
Rank movement Up 1,992 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #99,725 | 168 | 0.06 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #95,955 | 190 | 0.06 | +22 bearers (+13.1%) | Up 3,770 places |
| 2020 | #93,963 | 209 | 0.07 | +19 bearers (+10.0%) | Up 1,992 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 Bergbower 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 | #95,955 | #93,963 | 2.1% |
| Count | 190 | 209 | 10.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.06 | 0.07 | 16.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Bergbower bearers went from 190 to 209 (+10.0% change). The surname moved up 1,992 positions in the national ranking, going from #95,955 to #93,963.
FAQ
Bergbower surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Bergbower?
Name Census estimates that about 240 living Americans carry the surname Bergbower. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 1,428,143 residents.
How common is Bergbower?
Bergbower ranks #93,963 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.07 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 209 people with the surname Bergbower. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (240), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.07 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.07 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 Bergbower.
Has Bergbower become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Bergbower went from 190 recorded bearers to 209. That is an increase of 19 (+10.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #95,955 to #93,963.
What does the Census say about the background of Bergbower?
Among Census respondents with the surname Bergbower, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.4%) and Black (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 Bergbower in the 2020 Census, accounting for 96.2% (201 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Bergbower appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (96.2%), Two or More Races (2.4%), Black (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 Bergbower (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 Bergbower mean?
A Germanic surname derived from elements meaning "mountain" and "dweller." 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 Bergbower (0.07 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 Bergbower?
Want to know how common the surname Bergbower is? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.