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

Bernstine, 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 Bernstine surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Bernstine in America

Bernstine is the 69996th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Bernstine surname appeared 280 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Bernstine.

We can also compare 2010 data for Bernstine 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 Bernstine

The surname Bernstine is believed to have originated in Germany during the Middle Ages. It is derived from the Old German words "bern" meaning "bear" and "stein" meaning "stone," potentially referring to a person who lived near a rocky area or a place frequented by bears.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be traced back to a document from the 13th century in Bavaria, where a person named Bernhard von Bernstein was mentioned. This suggests that the name may have initially taken the form of a place name before evolving into a surname.

In the 14th century, records show a merchant named Hans Bernstine residing in the city of Nuremberg. This indicates that the name had spread to various parts of Germany and was being adopted as a hereditary surname by that time.

During the late 15th century, a notable figure named Johann Bernstine was a prominent scholar and professor at the University of Leipzig. He authored several treatises on theology and philosophy, leaving a significant intellectual legacy.

In the 17th century, a German military officer named Friedrich von Bernstine served in the Thirty Years' War. He was renowned for his bravery and strategic prowess on the battlefield.

Another notable individual with this surname was Wilhelm Bernstine, a German architect who lived in the 19th century. He designed several landmark buildings, including the Alte Oper concert hall in Frankfurt, which is still regarded as a architectural masterpiece.

As German immigrants began to settle in other parts of Europe and eventually in the Americas, the surname Bernstine traveled with them, although the spelling and pronunciation may have evolved over time in different regions.

While the name Bernstine is not among the most common surnames globally, it has a rich history rooted in medieval Germany, with various notable individuals bearing this name throughout the centuries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Bernstine

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

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

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

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