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

Bernhard, 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 Bernhard surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Bernhard in America

Bernhard is the 8775th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Bernhard surname appeared 3,735 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 Bernhard.

We can also compare 2010 data for Bernhard 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 Bernhard

The surname Bernhard originated in Germany in the Middle Ages, deriving from the Old German name Bernhard, which is a compound of two words: "bern" meaning "bear" and "hart" meaning "hardy" or "brave." This name likely referred to someone who possessed the strength and fortitude of a bear.

The earliest recorded instances of the name date back to the 9th century, with mentions of individuals bearing the name in various historical records and manuscripts from the region. One notable example is a Bernhard von Anhalt, who was a count in the Holy Roman Empire during the late 10th century.

Over time, the name spread across Germany and into neighboring regions, with various regional spellings emerging, such as Bernhardt, Bernhart, and Bernhard. These variations often depended on local dialects and pronunciation patterns.

The name also appeared in several place names, such as Bernhardswald, a forest region in Bavaria, and Bernhardsthal, a town in Lower Austria. These place names likely originated from individuals with the surname Bernhard who lived or held lands in those areas.

Several notable individuals throughout history have borne the surname Bernhard, including:

1. Bernhard von Clairvaux (1090-1153), a French abbot and one of the most influential churchmen of the Middle Ages.
2. Bernhard Riemann (1826-1866), a German mathematician renowned for his contributions to analysis and geometry.
3. Bernhard von Bülow (1849-1929), a German diplomat and politician who served as Chancellor of Germany from 1900 to 1909.
4. Bernhard Rust (1883-1945), a German Nazi leader and Reich Minister of Education during the Third Reich.
5. Bernhard Grzimek (1909-1987), a German zoologist, book author, and television host known for his work in wildlife conservation.

These are just a few examples of the many individuals who have carried the surname Bernhard throughout history, highlighting its enduring presence and significance across various fields and eras.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Bernhard

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

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

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

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