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

Bernstein, 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 Bernstein surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Bernstein in America

Bernstein is the 2015th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Bernstein surname appeared 17,916 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 6 people would have the surname Bernstein.

We can also compare 2010 data for Bernstein 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 Bernstein

The surname Bernstein is of German origin, derived from the words "Bern" meaning bear and "stein" meaning stone, essentially translating to "bear stone" or "bear's den." It is believed to have originated in the Rhineland region of Germany during the Middle Ages.

Bernstein was initially used as a topographic name, referring to someone who lived near a rock formation or cave that was associated with bears. It may also have been an occupational name for someone who worked with bears, such as a bear hunter or trainer.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Bernstein can be found in the Codex Diplomaticus, a collection of medieval documents from the region of Saxony, dating back to the 12th century. The name is also mentioned in the Annals of Fulda, a historical chronicle written in the 9th century.

In the late 13th century, a nobleman named Rudolf von Bernstein was mentioned in the records of the city of Nürnberg. He was a prominent figure in the region and owned several estates in the area.

During the Renaissance period, a famous Dutch artist named Hieronymus van Bernstein (1518-1592) gained recognition for his paintings and engravings. His works can be found in various museums across Europe.

In the 18th century, a German philosopher and writer named Johann Gottfried Bernstein (1719-1784) made significant contributions to the field of aesthetics and the study of beauty.

Another notable figure was Helene Bernstein (1880-1957), a German-born American author and activist. She was involved in the women's suffrage movement and wrote several books on feminist issues.

The Bernstein name also gained prominence in the field of music with the German-American composer and conductor Leonard Bernstein (1918-1990), who is widely regarded as one of the most influential figures in American classical music.

Throughout history, the surname Bernstein has been found in various regions of Germany, as well as in other parts of Europe and North America, where German immigrants settled. While the spelling may have varied slightly over time, the name has maintained its distinct German origins and associations with bears and stone formations.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Bernstein

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

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

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

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