2000
#8,488
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,575
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.33
Rare Last name
Bernhard
A German surname derived from the personal name Bernhard, composed of the elements "bear" and "hardy" or "brave."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 4,035 Americans carry the last name Bernhard. That puts it at #8,926 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.18 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 84,945 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Bernhard 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
4.0K
1 in 84,945
Census rank
#8,926
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.5K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,519 bearers of the surname Bernhard in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.18 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 8926th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Bernhard, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.8%) and Two or More Races (2.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of 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.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Bernhard
Among Census respondents with the surname Bernhard, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.8%) and Two or More Races (2.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Bernhard 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 Bernhard surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.4% · 3,250
- Hispanic or Latino3.8% · 134
- Two or more races2.6% · 92
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 30
- Black or African American0.3% · 10
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Bernhard
Bernhard 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
#8,775
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,735
+160 bearers (+4.5%)
Per 100,000 1.27
Rank movement Down 287 places
2020
#8,926
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,519
-216 bearers (-5.8%)
Per 100,000 1.18
Rank movement Down 151 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #8,488 | 3,575 | 1.33 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #8,775 | 3,735 | 1.27 | +160 bearers (+4.5%) | Down 287 places |
| 2020 | #8,926 | 3,519 | 1.18 | -216 bearers (-5.8%) | Down 151 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 Bernhard 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 | #8,775 | #8,926 | -1.7% |
| Count | 3,735 | 3,519 | -5.8% |
| Per 100K | 1.27 | 1.18 | -7.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Bernhard bearers went from 3,735 to 3,519 (-5.8% change). The surname moved down 151 positions in the national ranking, going from #8,775 to #8,926.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Bernhard
FAQ
Bernhard surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Bernhard?
Name Census estimates that about 4,035 living Americans carry the surname Bernhard. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 84,945 residents.
How common is Bernhard?
Bernhard ranks #8,926 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.18 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 3,519 people with the surname Bernhard. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (4,035), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.18 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.18 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 Bernhard.
Has Bernhard become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Bernhard went from 3,735 recorded bearers to 3,519. That is a decrease of 216 (-5.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #8,775 to #8,926.
What does the Census say about the background of Bernhard?
Among Census respondents with the surname Bernhard, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.8%) and Two or More Races (2.6%). 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 Bernhard in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.4% (3,250 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Bernhard appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.4%), Hispanic (3.8%), Two or More Races (2.6%). 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 Bernhard (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 Bernhard mean?
A German surname derived from the personal name Bernhard, composed of the elements "bear" and "hardy" or "brave." 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 Bernhard (1.18 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 people share the surname Bernhard?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.