2000
#11,851
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,420
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.90
Rare Last name
Berrier
An occupational surname for a shepherd or someone who worked with sheep or in sheep enclosures.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,579 Americans carry the last name Berrier. That puts it at #13,040 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.75 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 132,902 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Berrier 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
2.6K
1 in 132,902
Census rank
#13,040
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.8
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.2K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,249 bearers of the surname Berrier in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.75 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 13040th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Berrier, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.8%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.0%) and Hispanic (2.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Berrier
The surname Berrier has its origins in France, dating back to the medieval period. It is believed to have derived from the Old French word "berrier," which referred to a shepherd or someone who tended to sheep. This occupation was a common one in rural areas of France during that time.
The earliest known records of the name Berrier can be traced back to the 12th century in the region of Normandy, France. One of the earliest documented references can be found in the "Cartulaire de Fécamp," a cartulary (a medieval manuscript recording the endowments of a monastery) from the Fécamp Abbey in Normandy, which mentions a certain "Robert Berrier" in the year 1175.
Over the centuries, the name Berrier has appeared in various historical records and documents across France. One notable example is the "Rôles des Fiefs du Duché de Normandie" from the 14th century, which lists several individuals with the surname Berrier among the landowners and vassals of the Duchy of Normandy.
Many variations and spellings of the name have emerged over time, such as Berrier, Berryer, Berryé, and Berrié. These variations often reflected regional dialects and local pronunciations, as well as the influence of other languages in areas where the name was present.
One of the earliest known individuals bearing the surname Berrier was Jean Berrier, a prominent lawyer and judge who lived in the 15th century. He served as the Procureur Général (Attorney General) of the Parlement of Paris from 1467 to 1483.
Another notable figure was Nicolas Berrier (1644-1719), a French Jesuit missionary and explorer who traveled to North America and lived among the Native American tribes in what is now Canada and the United States. He documented his experiences and observations in his writings, which provided valuable insights into the lives and cultures of the indigenous peoples.
In the 18th century, Jacques-Nicolas Berrier (1722-1793) was a French mathematician and astronomer who made significant contributions to the field of celestial mechanics. He worked as a professor at the Collège de France and was elected to the French Academy of Sciences in 1770.
During the 19th century, Eugène Berrier (1818-1888) was a French politician and lawyer who served as a member of the National Assembly and the Senate. He was known for his advocacy of workers' rights and his support for progressive social reforms.
Lastly, in the 20th century, Fernand Berrier (1897-1971) was a French artist and painter who was part of the Fauvist movement. His vibrant and expressive works often depicted scenes of Parisian life and landscapes, and he gained recognition both in France and internationally.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Berrier
Among Census respondents with the surname Berrier, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.8%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.0%) and Hispanic (2.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Berrier 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 Berrier surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White93.8% · 2,110
- Two or more races3.0% · 67
- Hispanic or Latino2.4% · 53
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.4% · 10
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 5
- Black or African American0.2% · 4
Timeline
Historical Census data for Berrier
Berrier 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
#12,221
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,547
+127 bearers (+5.2%)
Per 100,000 0.86
Rank movement Down 370 places
2020
#13,040
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,249
-298 bearers (-11.7%)
Per 100,000 0.75
Rank movement Down 819 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #11,851 | 2,420 | 0.90 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #12,221 | 2,547 | 0.86 | +127 bearers (+5.2%) | Down 370 places |
| 2020 | #13,040 | 2,249 | 0.75 | -298 bearers (-11.7%) | Down 819 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 Berrier 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 | #12,221 | #13,040 | -6.7% |
| Count | 2,547 | 2,249 | -11.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.86 | 0.75 | -12.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Berrier bearers went from 2,547 to 2,249 (-11.7% change). The surname moved down 819 positions in the national ranking, going from #12,221 to #13,040.
FAQ
Berrier surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Berrier?
Name Census estimates that about 2,579 living Americans carry the surname Berrier. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 132,902 residents.
How common is Berrier?
Berrier ranks #13,040 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.75 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 2,249 people with the surname Berrier. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,579), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.75 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.75 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 Berrier.
Has Berrier become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Berrier went from 2,547 recorded bearers to 2,249. That is a decrease of 298 (-11.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #12,221 to #13,040.
What does the Census say about the background of Berrier?
Among Census respondents with the surname Berrier, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.8%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.0%) and Hispanic (2.4%). 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 Berrier in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.8% (2,110 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Berrier appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (93.8%), Two or More Races (3.0%), Hispanic (2.4%). 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 Berrier (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 Berrier mean?
An occupational surname for a shepherd or someone who worked with sheep or in sheep enclosures. 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 Berrier (0.75 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 are called Berrier?
If you just want to know how many people have the last name Berrier, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.