Find out how popular the last name Berkowitz is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Berkowitz.

Berkowitz, 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 Berkowitz surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Berkowitz in America

Berkowitz is the 5018th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Berkowitz surname appeared 7,000 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 2 people would have the surname Berkowitz.

We can also compare 2010 data for Berkowitz 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.

The history of the last name Berkowitz

The surname Berkowitz is of Ashkenazi Jewish origin, originating in the Yiddish-speaking areas of Eastern Europe. It is derived from the Yiddish word "berk," meaning "birch tree," combined with the German suffix "-owitz," which denotes a patronymic or a place of origin.

The earliest recorded instances of the Berkowitz name can be traced back to the 17th century in the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth and the surrounding regions. It is believed that the name may have originated in the town of Berkowa, located in present-day Poland, or in a village named after birch trees.

In the 18th and 19th centuries, many Berkowitz families migrated westward to other parts of Europe and eventually to the United States, seeking better economic opportunities and escaping persecution. Notable individuals with the Berkowitz surname include:

1. Max Berkowitz (1870-1953), a Polish-born American entrepreneur and philanthropist who founded the Berkowitz Department Store chain in New York City.
2. Yetta Berkowitz (1886-1978), a Russian-born American labor activist and union organizer, known for her work in the garment industry.
3. Abraham Berkowitz (1912-2003), a Russian-born American chemist who contributed significantly to the development of synthetic rubber during World War II.
4. David Berkowitz (born 1953), also known as the "Son of Sam," an American serial killer active in New York City during the 1970s.
5. Daniel Berkowitz (born 1967), an American lawyer and activist who co-founded the International Refugee Assistance Project.

While the Berkowitz name is most commonly associated with Ashkenazi Jewish communities, it has also been adopted by individuals from other ethnic backgrounds over time due to linguistic assimilation or cultural influences.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Berkowitz

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Berkowitz.

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:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Berkowitz was:

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 Berkowitz has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

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 Berkowitz was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Berkowitz, please contact us.

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