2000
#6,439
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,863
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.80
Rare Last name
Bergmann
An occupational surname referring to someone who lived or worked in the mountains or hills.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 5,666 Americans carry the last name Bergmann. That puts it at #6,582 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.65 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 60,493 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Bergmann 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Bergmann with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
5.7K
1 in 60,493
Census rank
#6,582
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
4.9K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 4,941 bearers of the surname Bergmann in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.65 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 6582nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Bergmann, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.7%) and Two or More Races (2.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Bergmann
The surname BERGMANN originated in Germany, with records dating back to the 12th century. It is derived from the Old German words "berg" meaning mountain or hill, and "mann" meaning man. The name likely referred to someone who lived in or near the mountains or hills.
Some of the earliest recorded instances of the BERGMANN surname can be found in medieval German records and manuscripts, such as the Codex Diplomaticus Anhaltinus from the 13th century, which mentions a Henricus Bergmann.
The surname BERGMANN was particularly common in regions with mountainous terrain, such as Bavaria, Saxony, and the Harz Mountains. It was often associated with occupations related to mining or forestry in these areas.
One notable individual with the BERGMANN surname was Johann Bergmann, a German theologian and reformer born in Olsnitz, Saxony, in 1498. He played a significant role in the Protestant Reformation and worked closely with Martin Luther.
Another prominent figure was Torbern Olof Bergman, a Swedish chemist and mineralogist born in 1735. He made important contributions to the study of chemistry and is considered one of the founders of modern physical chemistry.
In the 19th century, Carl Bergmann, a German philosopher and educator born in 1814, gained recognition for his work on the philosophy of education and his contributions to the field of pedagogy.
The BERGMANN surname was also present in other European countries, such as Austria, where Franz Bergmann, a renowned sculptor and medallist, was born in Vienna in 1838.
In the United States, one notable individual with the BERGMANN surname was Ernst Bergmann, a German-American physicist born in 1886. He made significant contributions to the field of nuclear physics and was involved in the Manhattan Project during World War II.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Bergmann
Among Census respondents with the surname Bergmann, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.7%) and Two or More Races (2.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Bergmann 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 Bergmann surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.5% · 4,569
- Hispanic or Latino3.7% · 181
- Two or more races2.3% · 113
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 37
- Black or African American0.5% · 25
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 16
Timeline
Historical Census data for Bergmann
Bergmann 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
#6,761
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,988
+125 bearers (+2.6%)
Per 100,000 1.69
Rank movement Down 322 places
2020
#6,582
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,941
-47 bearers (-0.9%)
Per 100,000 1.65
Rank movement Up 179 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #6,439 | 4,863 | 1.80 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #6,761 | 4,988 | 1.69 | +125 bearers (+2.6%) | Down 322 places |
| 2020 | #6,582 | 4,941 | 1.65 | -47 bearers (-0.9%) | Up 179 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 Bergmann 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 | #6,761 | #6,582 | 2.6% |
| Count | 4,988 | 4,941 | -0.9% |
| Per 100K | 1.69 | 1.65 | -2.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Bergmann bearers went from 4,988 to 4,941 (-0.9% change). The surname moved up 179 positions in the national ranking, going from #6,761 to #6,582.
FAQ
Bergmann surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Bergmann?
Name Census estimates that about 5,666 living Americans carry the surname Bergmann. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 60,493 residents.
How common is Bergmann?
Bergmann ranks #6,582 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.65 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 4,941 people with the surname Bergmann. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (5,666), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.65 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.65 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Bergmann.
Has Bergmann become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Bergmann went from 4,988 recorded bearers to 4,941. That is a decrease of 47 (-0.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #6,761 to #6,582.
What does the Census say about the background of Bergmann?
Among Census respondents with the surname Bergmann, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.7%) and Two or More Races (2.3%). 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 Bergmann in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.5% (4,569 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Bergmann appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.5%), Hispanic (3.7%), Two or More Races (2.3%). 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 Bergmann (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 Bergmann mean?
An occupational surname referring to someone who lived or worked in the mountains or hills. 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 Bergmann (1.65 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 Americans have the surname Bergmann?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.