2000
#8,101
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,771
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.40
Rare Last name
Berk
A Turkish surname derived from the word "berk," meaning "strong, firm, or brave."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,864 Americans carry the last name Berk. That puts it at #9,270 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.13 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 88,705 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Berk 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 Berk with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
3.9K
1 in 88,705
Census rank
#9,270
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.4K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,370 bearers of the surname Berk in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.13 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 9270th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Berk, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.1%) and Two or More Races (2.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Berk
The surname BERK is believed to have originated in England during the Middle Ages, likely derived from the Old English word "beorc," meaning a birch tree. This suggests that the name may have initially referred to someone who lived near a prominent birch tree or a settlement surrounded by birch trees.
The earliest known record of the name BERK dates back to the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as a place name in several counties, including Berkshire and Gloucestershire. This indicates that the surname may have been adopted by individuals living in or near those locations.
In the 13th century, various spellings of the name emerged, such as Berke, Berk, and Birke, reflecting the regional variations in pronunciation and spelling conventions of the time. The name was particularly prevalent in the counties of Berkshire, Gloucestershire, and Wiltshire.
One of the earliest recorded individuals bearing the surname BERK was John Berk, a landowner in Berkshire mentioned in the Pipe Rolls of 1199. Another notable figure was William Berk, a prominent merchant from Bristol who was granted a royal charter by King Edward III in the 14th century.
During the 16th century, the BERK surname gained prominence with the rise of the Berk family of Gloucestershire. Sir John Berk (1516-1589) was a renowned military commander who served under Queen Elizabeth I, while his son, Thomas Berk (1545-1621), was a Member of Parliament and a respected scholar.
In the 17th century, the name BERK spread across England, with several notable individuals emerging. John Berk (1625-1688) was a influential Puritan minister and author, while Robert Berk (1650-1718) was a successful merchant and philanthropist in London.
Throughout the 18th and 19th centuries, the BERK surname continued to be associated with various professions and achievements. Notable individuals included Sir James Berk (1745-1823), a prominent architect who designed several iconic buildings in London, and Mary Berk (1788-1865), a pioneering educator and advocate for women's rights.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Berk
Among Census respondents with the surname Berk, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.1%) and Two or More Races (2.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Berk 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 Berk surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.1% · 3,070
- Hispanic or Latino4.1% · 139
- Two or more races2.4% · 81
- Black or African American1.4% · 48
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 26
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 6
Timeline
Historical Census data for Berk
Berk 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
#8,736
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,754
-17 bearers (-0.5%)
Per 100,000 1.27
Rank movement Down 635 places
2020
#9,270
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,370
-384 bearers (-10.2%)
Per 100,000 1.13
Rank movement Down 534 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #8,101 | 3,771 | 1.40 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #8,736 | 3,754 | 1.27 | -17 bearers (-0.5%) | Down 635 places |
| 2020 | #9,270 | 3,370 | 1.13 | -384 bearers (-10.2%) | Down 534 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 Berk 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 | #8,736 | #9,270 | -6.1% |
| Count | 3,754 | 3,370 | -10.2% |
| Per 100K | 1.27 | 1.13 | -11.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Berk bearers went from 3,754 to 3,370 (-10.2% change). The surname moved down 534 positions in the national ranking, going from #8,736 to #9,270.
FAQ
Berk surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Berk?
Name Census estimates that about 3,864 living Americans carry the surname Berk. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 88,705 residents.
How common is Berk?
Berk ranks #9,270 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.13 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 3,370 people with the surname Berk. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,864), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.13 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.13 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Berk.
Has Berk become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Berk went from 3,754 recorded bearers to 3,370. That is a decrease of 384 (-10.2%). In the national ranking it fell from #8,736 to #9,270.
What does the Census say about the background of Berk?
Among Census respondents with the surname Berk, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.1%) and Two or More Races (2.4%). 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 Berk in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.1% (3,070 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Berk appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.1%), Hispanic (4.1%), Two or More Races (2.4%). 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 Berk (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 Berk mean?
A Turkish surname derived from the word "berk," meaning "strong, firm, or brave." 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 Berk (1.13 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 Berk?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.