2000
#130,443
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 120
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Berly
A locational surname derived from a place name, possibly from Berlin or its variants.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 135 Americans carry the last name Berly. That puts it at #143,511 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,538,921 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Berly 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.
Bearers in the US
135
1 in 2,538,921
Census rank
#143,511
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
118
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 118 bearers of the surname Berly in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 143511th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Berly, the largest self-reported group is White at 50.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (30.5%) and Black (9.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Berly
The surname Berly originated in the region of Burgundy in eastern France during the medieval period. It is likely derived from the Old French word "berle," which referred to a type of watercress plant. This suggests that the name may have initially been an occupational surname for someone who gathered or sold watercress.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Berly can be found in the Cartulaire de l'Abbaye de Reims, a manuscript dating back to the 12th century. The document mentions a person named "Robertus de Berli," which is believed to be an early spelling variation of the surname.
In the 13th century, records show that a knight named Geoffroy Berly took part in the Seventh Crusade led by King Louis IX of France. This indicates that the Berly family had gained some prominence and status by that time.
During the 15th century, a branch of the Berly family resided in the village of Berlay, located in the Franche-Comté region of eastern France. It is possible that the name Berly may have been influenced by or derived from this place name.
One notable figure bearing the surname Berly was Jean Berly (1510-1572), a French jurist and legal scholar who served as a counselor in the Parliament of Burgundy. He was highly respected for his expertise in Roman and canon law.
Another prominent individual was Charles Berly (1619-1688), a French architect who worked on several notable projects in Paris, including the Val-de-Grâce church and the Palais du Luxembourg.
In the 18th century, a man named Pierre Berly (1738-1791) gained recognition as a successful merchant and businessman in the city of Lyon, France. He was known for his involvement in the silk trade and for his philanthropic contributions to the local community.
Throughout history, the Berly surname has also been associated with various literary figures, such as the French poet and dramatist Louis Berly (1785-1844) and the Belgian novelist and playwright Maurice Berly (1886-1964).
It's worth noting that while the surname Berly has its roots in France, it has also been found in other parts of Europe, particularly in regions with close ties to France, such as Belgium and Switzerland.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Berly
Among Census respondents with the surname Berly, the largest self-reported group is White at 50.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (30.5%) and Black (9.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Berly 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 Berly surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White50.0% · 59
- Hispanic or Latino30.5% · 36
- Black or African American9.3% · 11
- Asian and Pacific Islander5.1% · 6
- American Indian and Alaska Native2.5% · 3
- Two or more races2.5% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Berly
Berly 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
#130,610
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 130
+10 bearers (+8.3%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 167 places
2020
#143,511
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 118
-12 bearers (-9.2%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 12,901 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #130,443 | 120 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #130,610 | 130 | 0.04 | +10 bearers (+8.3%) | Down 167 places |
| 2020 | #143,511 | 118 | 0.04 | -12 bearers (-9.2%) | Down 12,901 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 Berly 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 | #130,610 | #143,511 | -9.9% |
| Count | 130 | 118 | -9.2% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -1.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Berly bearers went from 130 to 118 (-9.2% change). The surname moved down 12,901 positions in the national ranking, going from #130,610 to #143,511.
FAQ
Berly surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Berly?
Name Census estimates that about 135 living Americans carry the surname Berly. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,538,921 residents.
How common is Berly?
Berly ranks #143,511 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 118 people with the surname Berly. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (135), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Berly.
Has Berly become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Berly went from 130 recorded bearers to 118. That is a decrease of 12 (-9.2%). In the national ranking it fell from #130,610 to #143,511.
What does the Census say about the background of Berly?
Among Census respondents with the surname Berly, the largest self-reported group is White at 50.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (30.5%) and Black (9.3%). 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 Berly in the 2020 Census, accounting for 50.0% (59 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Berly appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (50.0%), Hispanic (30.5%), Black (9.3%). 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 Berly (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 Berly mean?
A locational surname derived from a place name, possibly from Berlin or its variants. 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 Berly (0.04 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 Berly?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.