2000
#142,819
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 107
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Bersche
A surname possibly derived from an occupational name for a grower or seller of vegetables.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 118 Americans carry the last name Bersche. That puts it at #154,182 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,904,698 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Bersche 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
118
1 in 2,904,698
Census rank
#154,182
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
103
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 103 bearers of the surname Bersche in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 154182nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Bersche, the largest self-reported group is White at 100.0%.
Origin
Meaning and origin of Bersche
The surname Bersche is believed to have originated in Germany, likely in the northern regions near the North Sea coastline. It is thought to be derived from the Old German word "bersche," which referred to a birch tree, indicating that the name may have been initially given to someone who lived near a prominent birch tree or birch grove.
The earliest recorded instances of the Bersche surname can be traced back to the 13th century, with references found in medieval German records and local registers. One notable early bearer of the name was Hans Bersche, a merchant from the town of Lübeck, who was mentioned in a trade document dated 1327.
In the 15th century, the Bersche name appeared in the Bregenz area of modern-day Austria, where a family of landowners and minor nobility bore the name. One of the most prominent members of this lineage was Konrad Bersche, born in 1458, who served as a magistrate in the city of Bregenz.
As the surname spread throughout German-speaking regions, variations in spelling emerged, including Berschen, Bersch, and Bersche. These variations were often influenced by regional dialects and local scribes' interpretations of the name.
In the 16th century, a notable figure named Johann Bersche (1512-1587) made his mark as a Protestant theologian and reformer. He was a contemporary of Martin Luther and played a significant role in the spread of the Reformation in northern Germany.
Another individual of note was Margarethe Bersche (1670-1743), a renowned herbalist and midwife from the town of Halle, who was widely respected for her knowledge of medicinal plants and her contributions to the field of traditional medicine.
As the centuries progressed, bearers of the Bersche surname could be found throughout Germany, Austria, and other German-speaking regions, with some families migrating to other parts of Europe and eventually to the Americas.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Bersche
Among Census respondents with the surname Bersche, the largest self-reported group is White at 100.0%.
The bar chart below shows how Bersche 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 Bersche surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White100.0% · 103
Timeline
Historical Census data for Bersche
Bersche 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
#146,201
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 113
+6 bearers (+5.6%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 3,382 places
2020
#154,182
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 103
-10 bearers (-8.8%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 7,981 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #142,819 | 107 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #146,201 | 113 | 0.04 | +6 bearers (+5.6%) | Down 3,382 places |
| 2020 | #154,182 | 103 | 0.03 | -10 bearers (-8.8%) | Down 7,981 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 Bersche 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 | #146,201 | #154,182 | -5.5% |
| Count | 113 | 103 | -8.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.03 | -13.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Bersche bearers went from 113 to 103 (-8.8% change). The surname moved down 7,981 positions in the national ranking, going from #146,201 to #154,182.
FAQ
Bersche surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Bersche?
Name Census estimates that about 118 living Americans carry the surname Bersche. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,904,698 residents.
How common is Bersche?
Bersche ranks #154,182 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.03 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 103 people with the surname Bersche. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (118), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.03 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 Bersche.
Has Bersche become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Bersche went from 113 recorded bearers to 103. That is a decrease of 10 (-8.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #146,201 to #154,182.
What does the Census say about the background of Bersche?
Among Census respondents with the surname Bersche, the largest self-reported group is White at 100.0%. 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 Bersche in the 2020 Census, accounting for 100.0% (103 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Bersche appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (100.0%). 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 Bersche (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 Bersche mean?
A surname possibly derived from an occupational name for a grower or seller of vegetables. 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 Bersche (0.03 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 Americans have the surname Bersche?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.