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

Berlin, 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 Berlin surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Berlin in America

Berlin is the 4729th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Berlin surname appeared 7,503 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 3 people would have the surname Berlin.

We can also compare 2010 data for Berlin 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 Berlin

The surname BERLIN is of German origin, deriving from the name of the capital city of Germany. The name is thought to have originated in the medieval period, around the 12th or 13th century.

The name BERLIN is derived from the Old Polabian word 'berl', meaning 'swamp', referring to the area's geography in the early days of the settlement. It was also recorded as 'Berlijn' in Dutch and 'Berlino' in Italian during the Middle Ages.

One of the earliest recorded mentions of the name BERLIN can be found in the Codex Diplomaticus Brandenburgensis, a collection of historical documents from the 13th century. The name appears in reference to individuals residing in or originating from the city of Berlin.

Historically, the BERLIN surname was often associated with merchants, traders, and craftsmen who had moved from the city of Berlin to other parts of Europe. Some notable individuals bearing the BERLIN surname include:

1. Jacob BERLIN (1499-1566), a German merchant and financier, known for his involvement in the trade between Germany and the Netherlands.

2. Abraham BERLIN (1663-1735), a German-Dutch merchant and banker, who played a significant role in the establishment of the Dutch East India Company.

3. Johann BERLIN (1677-1749), a German painter and engraver, known for his religious and allegorical works.

4. Moses BERLIN (1809-1867), a German-American physician and writer, who published several works on medical topics.

5. Irving BERLIN (1888-1989), a renowned American composer and lyricist, best known for his contributions to musical theater and popular music, including classics like "White Christmas" and "God Bless America".

The BERLIN surname has also been associated with various place names throughout history, such as Berlin-Brandenburg, a former state in Prussia, and Berlin, Connecticut, a town in the United States named after the German city.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Berlin

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

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

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

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