Berkman
A surname of Germanic origin meaning "one from the birch woods."
According to the 2010 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 1,919 Americans carry the last name Berkman. That puts it at #17,063 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.56 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 178,611 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Berkman surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, 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
1.9K
1 in 178,611
Census rank
#17,063
2010 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.7K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,664 bearers of the surname Berkman in its 2010 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.56 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 17063rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Berkman, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.4%) and Black (0.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Berkman
The surname Berkman has its origins in the Yiddish language and is believed to have originated among Ashkenazi Jewish communities in Eastern Europe, particularly in present-day Poland and Ukraine, during the Middle Ages.
The name Berkman is thought to be derived from the Yiddish word "barg," meaning "mountain" or "hill," and the suffix "-man," which denotes a person or occupation. This suggests that the name may have originally referred to someone who lived on or near a mountain or hill.
One of the earliest recorded examples of the Berkman surname dates back to the 16th century, when it appeared in various Jewish community records and tax rolls in the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth.
In the late 18th and early 19th centuries, as Jews began to adopt more standardized surnames across Europe, the Berkman name became more widely established and spread to other regions, including Russia, Germany, and the United Kingdom.
Notable individuals with the surname Berkman include Alexander Berkman (1870-1936), a Russian-American anarchist writer and activist, and Freda Berkman (1919-2003), an American artist and sculptor known for her abstract expressionist works.
Other historical figures bearing the Berkman surname include:
1. Yetta Berkman (1877-1943), a Russian-American labor activist and educator.
2. Moses Berkman (1865-1938), a Jewish-American playwright and author.
3. Isaac Berkman (1887-1963), a Russian-born American lawyer and civil rights advocate.
4. Sarah Berkman (1848-1927), a Polish-born American educator and philanthropist.
5. David Berkman (1923-2007), an American composer and jazz pianist.
While the Berkman surname has its roots in Eastern Europe and the Jewish diaspora, it has since spread globally and can be found among various ethnic and cultural communities around the world.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Berkman
Among Census respondents with the surname Berkman, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.4%) and Black (0.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Berkman bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2010 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.
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 Berkman surname at the time of the 2010 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White94.4%
- Hispanic or Latino3.4%
- Black or African American0.8%
- Two or more races0.7%
Year on year
2010 vs 2010 Census
How has the Berkman surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
| Metric | 2010 | 2010 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #17,063 | #17,063 | 0.0% |
| Count | 1,664 | 1,664 | 0.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.56 | 0.56 | 0.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2010 Census, the number of Berkman bearers went from 1,664 to 1,664 (+0.0% change). The surname held its position in the national ranking, going from #17,063 to #17,063.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Berkman
FAQ
Berkman surname: questions and answers
How common is the last name Berkman?
The surname Berkman holds position #17,063 in the US Census Bureau's surname ranking, with an estimated 1,919 living bearers. It occurs at a rate of 0.56 per 100,000 Americans.
What is the ethnic background of the Berkman surname?
Among Census respondents with the surname Berkman, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.4%) and Black (0.8%). These figures come from the 2010 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Where does this surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These tables list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2010 Census, along with a frequency rate and self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.