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

Bergman, 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 Bergman surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Bergman in America

Bergman is the 2021st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Bergman surname appeared 17,846 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 6 people would have the surname Bergman.

We can also compare 2010 data for Bergman 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 Bergman

The surname Bergman originated in Sweden and Germany, with roots dating back to the 13th century. It is derived from the Old Norse words "berg" meaning mountain or hill, and "mann" meaning man or person. The name likely referred to someone who lived near or worked on a mountain or hill.

In Sweden, the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Landskapshandlingar, medieval records from various provinces, including Västergötland and Småland. One of the earliest known bearers was a man named Bertil Bergman, mentioned in a document from Östergötland in 1296.

The name also has a long history in Germany, where it was often spelled "Bergmann" or "Bergman". One of the earliest recorded instances is from a document in Saxony in 1374, referring to a man named Hans Bergman.

In the 16th century, the name appeared in the Vadstena klostrers jordeböcker, land registers of the Vadstena Abbey in Sweden. A notable entry from 1521 mentions a man named Olof Bergman who owned land in Östergötland.

Some famous historical figures with the surname include Torbern Bergman (1735-1784), a Swedish chemist and mineralogist who is considered one of the founders of modern physical chemistry. Another is Ingrid Bergman (1915-1982), the renowned Swedish actress who won three Academy Awards and is remembered for her roles in films such as "Casablanca" and "Notorious".

Other notable Bergmans include Ernst Bergman (1836-1907), a Swedish philosopher and writer, and Hjalmar Bergman (1883-1931), a Swedish writer and playwright. In the United States, Roy Bergman (1912-1987) was a successful businessman and philanthropist who founded the Bergman Cherry Company.

While the name has evolved over centuries and spread across different regions, its origins can be traced back to the rugged landscapes of Scandinavia and Germany, where it was likely bestowed upon those who lived or worked in the mountains and hills.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Bergman

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

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

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

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!