Find out how popular the last name Berkbigler is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Berkbigler.
A surname derived from a German occupational name referring to a mountain or hill dweller.
Berkbigler, 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 Berkbigler surname is from the 2010 census data.
Berkbigler is the 80131st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.
The Berkbigler surname appeared 237 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Berkbigler.
We can also compare 2010 data for Berkbigler 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.
| 2010 | 2000 | Change (%) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | 80131 | 74164 | 7.73% |
| Count | 237 | 243 | -2.50% |
| Proportion per 100k | 0.08 | 0.09 | -11.76% |
The surname BERKBIGLER originated in Germany during the late 15th century. It is believed to be derived from the German words "Berg" meaning mountain or hill, and "bigler" which was an occupation referring to someone who handled or worked with beech trees. The name likely referred to someone who lived near a hill or mountain and worked with beech wood.
While the exact origin is unclear, one of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in a German census record from 1492 in the town of Rothenburg ob der Tauber, which lists a "Hans Berkbigler" as a resident. It's possible this early spelling was slightly different, such as "Bergbigler" or "Bercbigler", as spelling standards were not consistent during that time period.
In the 16th century, the surname began appearing in various church records and town registries across parts of southern Germany, particularly in the regions of Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg. One notable early bearer of the name was Johann Berkbigler (1534-1601), a master woodcarver known for his intricate religious sculptures and altarpieces found in several churches throughout Bavaria.
As the name spread, it evolved into different spellings like Bergbigler, Berkbiegler, and the modern Berkbigler form. In the 17th century, a branch of the family migrated to Switzerland, where the name is still found today, particularly in the canton of Appenzell Innerrhoden.
Another noteworthy individual with this surname was Matthias Berkbigler (1678-1738), a respected Swiss clockmaker and inventor who is credited with developing one of the earliest weight-driven wall clocks with a pendulum escapement mechanism.
By the 19th century, the BERKBIGLER name had also spread to parts of Austria and France, likely due to migration and intermarriage. One French bearer of note was Pierre Berkbigler (1812-1887), a vintner and winemaker from the Alsace region who is said to have pioneered several innovative aging techniques for white wines.
We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Berkbigler.
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:
For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Berkbigler was:
| Race/Ethnicity | Percentage | Total Occurrences |
|---|---|---|
| Non-Hispanic White Only | 94.09% | 223 |
| Non-Hispanic Black Only | (S)% | (S) |
| Non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander Only | 0.00% | 0 |
| Non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.00% | 0 |
| Non-Hispanic of Two or More Races | (S)% | (S) |
| Hispanic Origin | 5.49% | 13 |
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 Berkbigler has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.
| 2010 | 2000 | Change (%) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 94.09% | 96.71% | -2.75% |
| Black | (S)% | 0.00% | (S)% |
| Asian and Pacific Islander | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.00% | (S)% | (S)% |
| Two or More Races | (S)% | (S)% | (S)% |
| Hispanic | 5.49% | 2.47% | 75.88% |
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 Berkbigler was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.
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