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

Berrien, 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 Berrien surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Berrien in America

Berrien is the 34149th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Berrien surname appeared 665 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 Berrien.

We can also compare 2010 data for Berrien 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 Berrien

The surname BERRIEN has its origins in the Picardy region of northern France. The name is derived from the old French word "berrier", which referred to a sheepfold or an enclosed area for keeping sheep and other livestock. It is believed to have emerged in the 12th or 13th century as a locational surname, given to families who lived near or owned such enclosed pastures.

The earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in various medieval charters and records from Picardy and neighbouring regions. One of the earliest known bearers of the name was Jehan Berrien, mentioned in a document from the town of Abbeville in 1297.

As the name spread, variations in spelling emerged, including Berrien, Berrin, Berrain, and Berron. These different spellings often reflected regional dialects and variations in pronunciation.

In the 14th century, the name appeared in the historical records of the nearby county of Flanders. A notable figure from this period was Gillebert Berrien, a wealthy merchant from Ghent who lived from around 1320 to 1395.

The BERRIEN surname later spread to other parts of France, as well as to neighbouring regions of Europe. In the 16th century, a branch of the family settled in the Netherlands, where the name was sometimes spelled Berreyn or Berreijn.

One of the most notable bearers of the name in later history was John M. Berrien, an American statesman and jurist who served as a U.S. Senator from Georgia and as the Attorney General of the United States under President Andrew Jackson. He lived from 1781 to 1856.

Another prominent individual with the BERRIEN surname was Joseph Berrien, a French Huguenot who fled religious persecution and settled in South Carolina in the late 17th century. He and his descendants played an important role in the early history of the American colony.

In the 19th century, the name BERRIEN was also associated with several notable figures in the arts and literature. These included Aimé Berrien, a French painter born in 1818, and Félix Berrien, a Belgian poet and writer who lived from 1839 to 1909.

Over time, the BERRIEN surname has spread to various parts of the world, carried by families and individuals who trace their ancestry back to the original bearers of the name in northern France. While its prevalence may have fluctuated, the name has endured as a testament to its rich historical roots.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Berrien

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

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

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

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