2000
#6,735
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,615
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.71
Rare Last name
Berner
One who came from the city of Bern, Switzerland, or from the canton of Bern.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 4,874 Americans carry the last name Berner. That puts it at #7,545 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.42 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 70,323 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Berner 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Berner with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
4.9K
1 in 70,323
Census rank
#7,545
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.4
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
4.3K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 4,250 bearers of the surname Berner in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.42 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 7545th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Berner, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.2%) and Two or More Races (2.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Berner
The surname Berner originates from the German-speaking regions of Switzerland and southern Germany. It is derived from the Old High German word "bern," meaning "bear," and was likely initially used as a descriptive nickname for someone with bear-like characteristics or associations.
The name first appeared in historical records in the 12th century, with a mention of a family named Berner residing in the city of Bern, Switzerland. This city's name is also derived from the word "bern," indicating a possible connection between the surname and the place.
In the 13th century, the Berner family played a significant role in the Swiss struggle for independence against the Habsburgs. Ulrich Berner, born around 1240, was a prominent figure in this conflict and is mentioned in various chronicles of the time.
During the 14th and 15th centuries, the surname Berner became more widespread across southern Germany and Switzerland. Several notable individuals with this surname emerged, including Johannes Berner, a scholar and theologian from Nuremberg, who lived from 1389 to 1456.
In the 16th century, the name Berner appeared in various records and manuscripts, such as the Zurich Family Book, which documented families in the city of Zurich, Switzerland. One notable entry was for the Berner family of goldsmiths, who were influential in the city's guild system.
The 17th century saw the rise of Hans Berner, a Swiss politician and diplomat who served as the mayor of Bern from 1653 to 1655. His contributions to the city's governance and foreign relations were significant during this period.
In the 18th century, Johann Balthasar Berner, born in 1745 in Basel, Switzerland, gained recognition as a renowned painter and engraver. His works, depicting landscapes and historical scenes, were highly regarded in his time.
The 19th century brought forth Friedrich Wilhelm Berner, a German botanist and naturalist, born in 1780 in Oldenburg. He authored several significant works on the flora of Germany and made valuable contributions to the field of botany.
Throughout its history, the surname Berner has been associated with various place names and older spellings, such as Bernher, Bernar, and Bärnär, reflecting the regional variations in pronunciation and spelling.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Berner
Among Census respondents with the surname Berner, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.2%) and Two or More Races (2.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Berner 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 Berner surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.8% · 3,944
- Hispanic or Latino3.2% · 136
- Two or more races2.9% · 124
- Black or African American0.6% · 25
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.4% · 19
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.0% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Berner
Berner 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
#6,949
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,826
+211 bearers (+4.6%)
Per 100,000 1.64
Rank movement Down 214 places
2020
#7,545
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,250
-576 bearers (-11.9%)
Per 100,000 1.42
Rank movement Down 596 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #6,735 | 4,615 | 1.71 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #6,949 | 4,826 | 1.64 | +211 bearers (+4.6%) | Down 214 places |
| 2020 | #7,545 | 4,250 | 1.42 | -576 bearers (-11.9%) | Down 596 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 Berner 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 | #6,949 | #7,545 | -8.6% |
| Count | 4,826 | 4,250 | -11.9% |
| Per 100K | 1.64 | 1.42 | -13.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Berner bearers went from 4,826 to 4,250 (-11.9% change). The surname moved down 596 positions in the national ranking, going from #6,949 to #7,545.
FAQ
Berner surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Berner?
Name Census estimates that about 4,874 living Americans carry the surname Berner. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 70,323 residents.
How common is Berner?
Berner ranks #7,545 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.42 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 4,250 people with the surname Berner. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (4,874), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.42 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.42 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Berner.
Has Berner become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Berner went from 4,826 recorded bearers to 4,250. That is a decrease of 576 (-11.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #6,949 to #7,545.
What does the Census say about the background of Berner?
Among Census respondents with the surname Berner, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.2%) and Two or More Races (2.9%). 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 Berner in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.8% (3,944 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Berner appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.8%), Hispanic (3.2%), Two or More Races (2.9%). 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 Berner (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 Berner mean?
One who came from the city of Bern, Switzerland, or from the canton of Bern. 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 Berner (1.42 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 Berner?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.