2000
#139,757
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 110
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Bergsman
A Swedish surname meaning a person who lived in the mountains or hills.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 127 Americans carry the last name Bergsman. That puts it at #148,665 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,698,853 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Bergsman 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
127
1 in 2,698,853
Census rank
#148,665
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
111
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 111 bearers of the surname Bergsman in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 148665th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Bergsman, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (1.8%) and Two or More Races (1.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Bergsman
The surname Bergsman is of German origin, originating in the late medieval period. It is derived from the German words "berg" meaning mountain or hill, and "man" meaning man. This suggests that the name originally referred to a person who lived or worked in a mountainous or hilly region.
The earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in historical documents from the 14th and 15th centuries in the regions of Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg in southern Germany. It is likely that the name was initially used to identify individuals based on their occupation or place of residence in these mountainous areas.
In the 16th century, the name appears in various town and village records across central and southern Germany, including mentions in the Kirchenbücher (church books) of the towns of Rothenburg ob der Tauber and Bamberg. This indicates that the name had spread and become more widely adopted during this period.
One notable early bearer of the surname Bergsman was Hans Bergsman (1490-1557), a German metalsmith and engraver from Nuremberg, who is known for his intricate and detailed engravings of religious and historical subjects.
Another prominent figure with this surname was Johann Bergsman (1615-1672), a German Lutheran theologian and writer from Saxony. He is best known for his works on Christian doctrine and his influential sermons.
In the 18th century, the name appears in various genealogical records and census data from the German states, including mentions in the records of the Duchy of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha and the Grand Duchy of Baden.
One individual of note from this period was Karl Friedrich Bergsman (1768-1842), a German botanist and naturalist from Thuringia. He made significant contributions to the study of plant taxonomy and was a respected figure in the scientific community of his time.
Another notable bearer of the surname was Johann Friedrich Bergsman (1785-1860), a German composer and music educator from Saxony. He is known for his contributions to the development of music education in Germany and his compositions for choral and instrumental ensembles.
As the centuries progressed, the name Bergsman continued to be found in various regions of Germany and among German immigrant communities in other parts of the world.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Bergsman
Among Census respondents with the surname Bergsman, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (1.8%) and Two or More Races (1.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Bergsman 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 Bergsman surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White95.5% · 106
- Hispanic or Latino1.8% · 2
- Two or more races1.8% · 2
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Bergsman
Bergsman 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
#157,234
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 103
-7 bearers (-6.4%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 17,477 places
2020
#148,665
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 111
+8 bearers (+7.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 8,569 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #139,757 | 110 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #157,234 | 103 | 0.03 | -7 bearers (-6.4%) | Down 17,477 places |
| 2020 | #148,665 | 111 | 0.04 | +8 bearers (+7.8%) | Up 8,569 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 Bergsman 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 | #157,234 | #148,665 | 5.4% |
| Count | 103 | 111 | 7.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.03 | 0.04 | 23.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Bergsman bearers went from 103 to 111 (+7.8% change). The surname moved up 8,569 positions in the national ranking, going from #157,234 to #148,665.
FAQ
Bergsman surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Bergsman?
Name Census estimates that about 127 living Americans carry the surname Bergsman. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,698,853 residents.
How common is Bergsman?
Bergsman ranks #148,665 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 111 people with the surname Bergsman. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (127), 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 Bergsman.
Has Bergsman become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Bergsman went from 103 recorded bearers to 111. That is an increase of 8 (+7.8%). In the national ranking it rose from #157,234 to #148,665.
What does the Census say about the background of Bergsman?
Among Census respondents with the surname Bergsman, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (1.8%) and Two or More Races (1.8%). 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 Bergsman in the 2020 Census, accounting for 95.5% (106 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Bergsman appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (95.5%), Hispanic (1.8%), Two or More Races (1.8%). 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 Bergsman (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 Bergsman mean?
A Swedish surname meaning a person who lived 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 Bergsman (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 have the last name Bergsman?
See how many people have the last name Bergsman on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.