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

Berry, 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 Berry surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Berry in America

Berry is the 222nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Berry surname appeared 132,812 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 45 people would have the surname Berry.

We can also compare 2010 data for Berry 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 Berry

The surname Berry is of Anglo-Saxon origin and derived from the Old English words 'berien' or 'byri', meaning a hill or small eminence. It was a topographic name given to someone who lived on or near a hill or elevated land.

The name first appeared in records in the late 11th century, shortly after the Norman Conquest of 1066. One of the earliest recorded instances was in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it was spelled 'Beri'.

During the Middle Ages, the name was widespread in various parts of England, particularly in the counties of Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire, and Oxfordshire. Some early bearers of the name included John atte Bery (1279) from Bedfordshire and William de la Bery (1327) from Oxfordshire.

As surnames became hereditary, the name evolved into different spellings such as Berie, Bery, Berye, and eventually the modern form of Berry. Place names like Berry Pomeroy in Devon and Berry Hill in Gloucestershire may have influenced the spelling variations.

Notable individuals with the surname Berry throughout history include Richard Berry (c.1535-1612), an English clergyman and writer; John Berry (1638-1691), an English lawyer and politician; James Berry (1768-1848), a British naval officer who served during the Napoleonic Wars; Martha Berry (1865-1942), an American educator and philanthropist who founded Berry College in Georgia; and Sir Ralph Berry (1891-1969), a British civil servant and diplomat.

The name Berry has been associated with various professions and walks of life, from clergymen and lawyers to military officers and educators. Its origins as a topographic name reflecting the landscape make it a lasting reminder of the ancestral homelands of its early bearers.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Berry

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

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

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

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