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

Bergersen, 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 Bergersen surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Bergersen in America

Bergersen is the 96368th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Bergersen surname appeared 189 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 Bergersen.

We can also compare 2010 data for Bergersen 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.

The history of the last name Bergersen

The surname Bergersen is of Norwegian origin, tracing its roots back to the medieval period. It is derived from the Old Norse words "berg," meaning mountain or hill, and "arinn," signifying a hearth or fireplace. The combination of these two elements suggests that the name may have initially been used to describe a person who lived near a prominent hill or mountain with a distinctive hearth or dwelling.

One of the earliest documented references to the Bergersen name can be found in the Diplomatarium Norvegicum, a collection of medieval Norwegian diplomatic documents dating back to the 13th century. In this source, the name appears as "Bergarson," which closely resembles the modern spelling.

During the 16th century, the Bergersen name was concentrated in the western regions of Norway, particularly in areas like Rogaland and Hordaland. Records from this period show variations in spelling, such as "Bergersen" and "Berghersen," reflecting the fluid nature of surname standardization at the time.

One notable early bearer of the Bergersen name was Torstein Bergersen, a Norwegian farmer and landowner who lived in the late 15th century. He is mentioned in local land records from the region of Hardanger, where his family had substantial landholdings.

In the 17th century, the Bergersen name gained prominence with the birth of Hans Bergersen (1625-1702), a respected Lutheran minister who served in the parish of Voss, Norway. His son, Nils Bergersen (1660-1738), followed in his footsteps and became a prominent figure in the Norwegian clergy.

Another influential bearer of the Bergersen name was Inger Bergersen (1778-1854), a Norwegian writer and poet who gained recognition for her works celebrating Norwegian rural life and folklore. Her poetry collection, "Sanger fra Fjeldstuen" (Songs from the Mountain Cabin), published in 1835, is considered a significant contribution to Norwegian literature.

The 19th century saw the Bergersen name spread beyond Norway's borders as some members of the family emigrated to other parts of the world. One such individual was Olav Bergersen (1820-1898), who settled in Minnesota, United States, and became a successful farmer and landowner.

Throughout its history, the Bergersen surname has maintained a strong connection to its Norwegian roots, with many bearers of the name tracing their ancestry back to the mountainous regions of western Norway.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Bergersen

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

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 Bergersen was:

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

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

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

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