2010
#136,449
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 123
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Bergling
A Swedish surname indicating a person comes from a mountainous or hilly region.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 128 Americans carry the last name Bergling. That puts it at #147,954 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,677,768 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Bergling 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
128
1 in 2,677,768
Census rank
#147,954
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
112
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 112 bearers of the surname Bergling in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 147954th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Bergling, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (10.7%) and Two or More Races (2.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Bergling
The surname Bergling originated in Sweden during the late 18th century. It is derived from the Swedish word "berg" meaning mountain or hill, and the suffix "-ling" which indicates a diminutive or small size. The name likely referred to someone who lived near a small hill or mountainous area.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Bergling surname can be found in the Swedish parish records from the late 1700s. The name was particularly common in the regions of Dalarna and Värmland, which are known for their hilly landscapes and mountainous terrain.
In the early 19th century, a man named Anders Bergling (1785-1862) was a prominent farmer and landowner in the village of Mora, Dalarna. He was known for his expertise in agriculture and his involvement in local affairs.
Another notable figure with the Bergling surname was Carl Johan Bergling (1820-1895), a Swedish artist renowned for his landscape paintings. Many of his works depicted the beautiful scenery of the Dalarna region, including its mountains and valleys.
In the late 19th century, the Bergling surname began to spread beyond Sweden as some members of the family emigrated to other parts of Europe and North America. One such individual was Gustaf Bergling (1865-1941), who left Sweden for the United States in the 1880s and became a successful businessman in Chicago.
The name Bergling can also be found in historical records from Norway, where it is believed to have been adopted by some Swedish immigrants. One example is the Norwegian poet and novelist Olav Bergling (1888-1967), who was born in Trondheim to parents of Swedish descent.
Throughout its history, the Bergling surname has maintained a strong connection to its Swedish roots and the mountainous regions from which it originated. While not a particularly common name, it has been borne by notable individuals in various fields, reflecting the diverse paths taken by those who share this distinctive surname.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Bergling
Among Census respondents with the surname Bergling, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (10.7%) and Two or More Races (2.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Bergling 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 Bergling surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White86.6% · 97
- Hispanic or Latino10.7% · 12
- Two or more races2.7% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Bergling
Bergling appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#147,954
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 112
-11 bearers (-8.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 11,505 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #136,449 | 123 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #147,954 | 112 | 0.04 | -11 bearers (-8.9%) | Down 11,505 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 Bergling 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 | #136,449 | #147,954 | -8.4% |
| Count | 123 | 112 | -8.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -6.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Bergling bearers went from 123 to 112 (-8.9% change). The surname moved down 11,505 positions in the national ranking, going from #136,449 to #147,954.
FAQ
Bergling surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Bergling?
Name Census estimates that about 128 living Americans carry the surname Bergling. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,677,768 residents.
How common is Bergling?
Bergling ranks #147,954 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 112 people with the surname Bergling. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (128), 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 Bergling.
Has Bergling become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Bergling went from 123 recorded bearers to 112. That is a decrease of 11 (-8.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #136,449 to #147,954.
What does the Census say about the background of Bergling?
Among Census respondents with the surname Bergling, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (10.7%) and Two or More Races (2.7%). 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 Bergling in the 2020 Census, accounting for 86.6% (97 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Bergling appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (86.6%), Hispanic (10.7%), Two or More Races (2.7%). 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 Bergling (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 Bergling mean?
A Swedish surname indicating a person comes from a mountainous or hilly region. 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 Bergling (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 share the surname Bergling?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.