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

Bernardi, 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 Bernardi surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Bernardi in America

Bernardi is the 10517th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Bernardi surname appeared 3,050 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Bernardi.

We can also compare 2010 data for Bernardi 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 Bernardi

The surname Bernardi originated in Italy, with its earliest recorded use dating back to the late medieval period. It is derived from the personal name Bernardo, which itself has Germanic roots, coming from the elements "bern" meaning "bear" and "hard" meaning "hardy" or "brave." The name Bernardi is the patronymic form, indicating "son of Bernardo."

In medieval Italy, surnames were often derived from personal names, occupations, or places of origin. The Bernardi name was particularly prevalent in the regions of Tuscany and Lombardy, where it was associated with several noble families and prominent individuals throughout history.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Bernardi name can be found in the Codice Diplomatico Longobardo, a collection of historical documents from the Lombard period in Italy, dating back to the 8th century. This suggests that the name had already established itself in certain regions of Italy by that time.

During the Renaissance period, several notable figures bore the Bernardi surname. Among them was the Italian humanist and scholar Francesco Bernardi, who lived from 1460 to 1535 and was known for his contributions to classical literature and philosophy. Another prominent individual was the artist Giovanni Bernardi, who was active in the late 15th and early 16th centuries and is remembered for his paintings and frescoes adorning churches in Florence and other Tuscan cities.

In the 17th century, the Bernardi family produced several influential figures in the Italian states, including the diplomat and historian Girolamo Bernardi (1605-1674) and the military commander Gian Battista Bernardi (1620-1688), who served under the Duchy of Savoy.

Moving into the 18th century, the name Bernardi gained further prominence with the birth of the Italian playwright and librettist Pietro Bernardi (1709-1769), whose works were performed in major opera houses across Europe.

Another noteworthy individual was the Italian botanist and naturalist Giuseppe Antonio Bernardi (1756-1836), who made significant contributions to the study of plant life and is remembered for his extensive herbarium collection.

Throughout its long history, the Bernardi surname has been associated with various places and regions within Italy, including the towns of Bernardo in Tuscany and Bernardi in Lombardy, both of which likely derived their names from the same linguistic roots as the surname itself.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Bernardi

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

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

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

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