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

Bershad, 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 Bershad surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Bershad in America

Bershad is the 95115th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Bershad surname appeared 192 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 Bershad.

We can also compare 2010 data for Bershad 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 Bershad

The surname Bershad is of Ashkenazi Jewish origin, with roots that can be traced back to the Yiddish language and the shtetls (small Jewish towns) of Eastern Europe, particularly in Ukraine and Belarus. The name is believed to derive from the Yiddish term "ber-shad," which translates to "bear-harm" or "bear-damage," suggesting a possible connection to a bear-related incident or occupation in the family's history.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Bershad surname can be found in the 17th century, when it appeared in various rabbinical texts and community records from the region. In 1654, Rabbi Yitzchak Bershad, a prominent scholar and teacher, was mentioned in the writings of the renowned Rabbi Yom Tov Lipmann Heller, indicating the name's presence in Jewish communities of the time.

The town of Bershad, located in modern-day Vinnytsia Oblast, Ukraine, is believed to be the place of origin for many individuals bearing this surname. The town's name may have influenced the spelling and pronunciation of the family name over time, as it was common for Jewish families to adopt surnames based on their places of residence or origin.

In the 18th century, the Bershad surname appeared in various records from the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, which encompassed parts of modern-day Belarus, Ukraine, and Poland. For instance, Shmuel Bershad, a merchant from the town of Pinsk (now in Belarus), was documented in a trade registry in 1772.

Moving into the 19th century, notable individuals with the Bershad surname included Chaim Bershad (1804-1879), a respected rabbi and author from Galicia (now part of Poland and Ukraine), and Yitzchak Bershad (1818-1893), a prominent Hasidic leader and disciple of the Ruzhiner Rebbe, a influential figure in the Hasidic movement.

In the early 20th century, the Bershad surname gained further recognition with individuals like Abraham Bershad (1892-1972), a celebrated Yiddish writer and playwright from Ukraine, and Moshe Bershad (1910-1997), a renowned Israeli diplomat and ambassador who played a significant role in the establishment of the State of Israel.

Throughout history, the Bershad surname has been associated with various professions, including rabbinical scholars, merchants, writers, and diplomats, reflecting the diverse contributions of individuals bearing this name to Jewish communities and broader societies.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Bershad

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

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

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

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