2000
#130,443
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 120
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Berring
An old German surname derived from the Old English word "bere" meaning bear.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 125 Americans carry the last name Berring. That puts it at #150,205 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,742,035 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Berring 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
125
1 in 2,742,035
Census rank
#150,205
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
109
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 109 bearers of the surname Berring in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 150205th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Berring, the largest self-reported group is White at 56.0%. The next largest groups are Black (33.9%) and Hispanic (4.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Berring
The surname BERRING is believed to have originated in England, likely during the medieval period. It is thought to be a locational name, derived from a place name that referred to a particular region or settlement.
One theory suggests that BERRING may have originated from the Old English words "bær" (bare or open) and "ing" (meadow or pasture), potentially indicating a connection to a location with open fields or grazing lands. However, this etymology is not conclusive, and alternative explanations exist.
Records from the 13th and 14th centuries indicate the presence of individuals bearing variations of the BERRING surname, such as Berrynge, Berryng, and Beryngge. These early spellings reflect the evolution of the name over time and the influence of regional dialects.
In the Hundred Rolls of Huntingdonshire, a document dating back to 1273, there is a mention of a Robert Berynge, suggesting the name's existence during that period. Additionally, the Subsidy Rolls of Cambridgeshire from 1327 record a John Berryng, providing another historical reference.
One of the earliest known individuals with the BERRING surname was William Berryng, who was born in the late 14th century and served as a member of the clergy in the Diocese of Lincoln.
Notable figures throughout history bearing the BERRING surname include:
1. Sir Thomas Berring (c. 1520-1587), an English politician and landowner who served as a Member of Parliament for Bedfordshire in the mid-16th century.
2. John Berring (1670-1732), a British naval officer who distinguished himself during the War of the Spanish Succession and later became an Admiral of the Blue.
3. Elizabeth Berring (1745-1823), an influential writer and philosopher from the Midlands region of England, known for her work on moral philosophy and ethics.
4. George Berring (1812-1879), a prominent industrialist and entrepreneur who played a significant role in the development of the textile industry in Lancashire.
5. Mary Berring (1856-1927), a renowned artist and painter from Cornwall, celebrated for her landscapes and seascapes depicting the rugged Cornish coastline.
While the BERRING surname has roots in England, it has since spread to various parts of the world due to migration and diaspora. However, the specific details of its origins and early historical references remain subjects of ongoing research and scholarly debate.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Berring
Among Census respondents with the surname Berring, the largest self-reported group is White at 56.0%. The next largest groups are Black (33.9%) and Hispanic (4.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Berring 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 Berring surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White56.0% · 61
- Black or African American33.9% · 37
- Hispanic or Latino4.6% · 5
- Two or more races3.7% · 4
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 1
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Berring
Berring 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
#157,234
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 103
-17 bearers (-14.2%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 26,791 places
2020
#150,205
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 109
+6 bearers (+5.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 7,029 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #130,443 | 120 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #157,234 | 103 | 0.03 | -17 bearers (-14.2%) | Down 26,791 places |
| 2020 | #150,205 | 109 | 0.04 | +6 bearers (+5.8%) | Up 7,029 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 Berring 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 | #157,234 | #150,205 | 4.5% |
| Count | 103 | 109 | 5.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.03 | 0.04 | 21.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Berring bearers went from 103 to 109 (+5.8% change). The surname moved up 7,029 positions in the national ranking, going from #157,234 to #150,205.
FAQ
Berring surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Berring?
Name Census estimates that about 125 living Americans carry the surname Berring. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,742,035 residents.
How common is Berring?
Berring ranks #150,205 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 109 people with the surname Berring. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (125), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Berring.
Has Berring become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Berring went from 103 recorded bearers to 109. That is an increase of 6 (+5.8%). In the national ranking it rose from #157,234 to #150,205.
What does the Census say about the background of Berring?
Among Census respondents with the surname Berring, the largest self-reported group is White at 56.0%. The next largest groups are Black (33.9%) and Hispanic (4.6%). 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 Berring in the 2020 Census, accounting for 56.0% (61 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Berring appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (56.0%), Black (33.9%), Hispanic (4.6%). 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 Berring (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 Berring mean?
An old German surname derived from the Old English word "bere" meaning bear. 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 Berring (0.04 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 common is the surname Berring?
You can see how many people have the surname Berring on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.