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

Berman, 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 Berman surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Berman in America

Berman is the 2271st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Berman surname appeared 16,025 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 5 people would have the surname Berman.

We can also compare 2010 data for Berman 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 Berman

The surname Berman originated in the Germanic regions of Europe, with its earliest recorded instances dating back to the 12th century. The name is derived from the Old German words "ber" meaning bear and "mann" meaning man, suggesting that it may have been an occupational surname given to a bear hunter or someone who worked with bears.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Berman can be found in the Codex Diplomaticus, a collection of medieval documents from the 12th century, which mentions a person named "Bermannvs" in a land transaction in the region of modern-day Bavaria.

During the Middle Ages, the name Berman appeared in various forms such as "Bermann," "Berman," and "Behrmann," reflecting regional spelling variations. It is believed that the name was particularly prevalent in the regions of modern-day Germany, Austria, and Switzerland.

In the 14th century, records from the city of Nuremberg mention a prominent citizen named Hans Berman, who was a successful merchant and served on the city council. Another notable figure bearing the name was Johann Berman, a German theologian and philosopher who lived in the 16th century and wrote extensively on religious matters.

As people began to migrate across Europe, the name Berman spread to other regions. In England, the earliest recorded instance of the name dates back to the 16th century, with a record of a marriage between John Berman and Elizabeth Greene in 1587 in the parish of St. Giles, London.

One of the most renowned individuals with the surname Berman was Jacob Berman (1688-1769), a Dutch mathematician and astronomer who made significant contributions to the field of celestial mechanics. He was a member of the prestigious Royal Society in London and corresponded with notable scientists of his time, including Isaac Newton.

Another notable figure was Adolph Berman (1825-1881), a German-American artist and lithographer who emigrated to the United States in the mid-19th century. He is known for his lithographic portraits of prominent American figures, including Abraham Lincoln.

In the 20th century, one of the most influential individuals with the surname Berman was Irving Berman (1901-1989), an American film producer and executive who played a pivotal role in the development of the Hollywood studio system during the Golden Age of Hollywood.

These are just a few examples of the rich history and notable individuals associated with the surname Berman, which has its roots in the Germanic regions of Europe and has since spread across the globe.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Berman

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

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

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

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