Bergdorf last name popularity, history, and meaning

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

Meaning of Bergdorf

A German surname derived from a place name meaning "mountain village."

Bergdorf, 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 Bergdorf surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Bergdorf in America

Bergdorf is the 79846th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Bergdorf surname appeared 238 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 Bergdorf.

We can also compare 2010 data for Bergdorf 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 79846 76465 4.33%
Count 238 234 1.69%
Proportion per 100k 0.08 0.09 -11.76%

The history of the last name Bergdorf

The surname BERGDORF has its origins in Germany, dating back to the Middle Ages. It is derived from the Old German words "berg" meaning "mountain" or "hill" and "dorf" meaning "village." This suggests that the name likely originated from a settlement located in a mountainous or hilly region.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name BERGDORF can be found in the Codex Diplomaticus, a collection of historical documents from the Rhineland region of Germany, dating back to the 12th century. This indicates that the name was already well-established in that area during the medieval period.

The BERGDORF name has been associated with various place names throughout German history. For example, the town of Bergdorf in the state of Hesse is believed to have contributed to the spread of the surname. Additionally, there are records of individuals with the BERGDORF name hailing from villages such as Bergdorf-Höhe and Bergdorf-Angersbach, which further reinforces the connection between the surname and its geographic origins.

Notable individuals with the BERGDORF surname include Johannes BERGDORF (1492-1567), a German theologian and reformer who played a significant role in the Protestant Reformation. Another prominent figure was Wilhelm BERGDORF (1801-1879), a German architect and urban planner known for his contributions to the development of several German cities.

In the realm of arts and culture, the BERGDORF name has also left its mark. Ernst BERGDORF (1836-1903) was a German painter and illustrator renowned for his landscapes and historical scenes. Additionally, Otto BERGDORF (1874-1947) was a celebrated German composer and conductor who made significant contributions to the world of classical music.

One of the earliest recorded examples of the BERGDORF name in literature can be found in the works of the German writer and philosopher Johann Gottfried Herder (1744-1803), who mentioned individuals with this surname in his writings on German folklore and cultural traditions.

While the BERGDORF name has its roots in Germany, it has since spread to various parts of the world due to migration and immigration patterns. However, the historical records and accounts mentioned above provide valuable insights into the origins and significance of this surname within the context of German history and culture.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Bergdorf

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

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 Bergdorf was:

Race/Ethnicity Percentage Total Occurrences
Non-Hispanic White Only 94.12% 224
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 3.36% 8

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

2010 2000 Change (%)
White 94.12% 96.58% -2.58%
Black 0.00% 0.00% 0.00%
Asian and Pacific Islander (S)% (S)% (S)%
American Indian and Alaskan Native 0.00% 0.00% 0.00%
Two or More Races (S)% 2.14% (S)%
Hispanic 3.36% (S)% (S)%

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

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

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"Bergdorf last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com. Accessed on August 2, 2025. http://namecensus.com/last-names/bergdorf-surname-popularity/.

"Bergdorf last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com, http://namecensus.com/last-names/bergdorf-surname-popularity/. Accessed 2 August, 2025

Bergdorf last name popularity, history, and meaning. NameCensus.com. Retrieved from http://namecensus.com/last-names/bergdorf-surname-popularity/.

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