2000
#140,756
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 109
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Bertain
French surname indicating someone from a specific place called Bertain.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 134 Americans carry the last name Bertain. That puts it at #144,270 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,557,868 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Bertain 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
134
1 in 2,557,868
Census rank
#144,270
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
117
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 117 bearers of the surname Bertain in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 144270th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Bertain, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.0%) and Two or More Races (3.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Bertain
The surname BERTAIN originated in France, with the earliest known records dating back to the 11th century. It is derived from the Old French word "bertain," which means "bright" or "shining." This name was likely given to someone with a bright complexion or a sunny disposition.
The BERTAIN surname was particularly prevalent in the northern regions of France, such as Normandy and Picardy. It can be found in various medieval records and documents from these areas, including the Domesday Book, which was commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. This suggests that some individuals with this surname may have been among the Norman invaders who settled in England after the conquest.
One of the earliest recorded individuals with the BERTAIN surname was Raoul BERTAIN, a Norman knight who fought alongside William the Conqueror at the Battle of Hastings in 1066. Another notable figure was Jehan BERTAIN, a French poet and trouvère from the 13th century, who was known for his poetic works and contributions to the development of courtly love literature.
In the 14th century, a branch of the BERTAIN family settled in the village of Bertaincourt, located in the Pas-de-Calais region of northern France. This place name is likely derived from the surname itself, reflecting the family's influence and presence in the area.
During the Renaissance period, the BERTAIN surname gained further prominence with the birth of Jacques BERTAIN (1490-1562), a French architect and engineer who was renowned for his work on various fortifications and military structures throughout France. His son, Pierre BERTAIN (1523-1590), followed in his footsteps and became a prominent military architect as well.
Another notable figure was Jean BERTAIN (1620-1677), a French landscape architect and garden designer who worked on the famous gardens of Versailles under the patronage of King Louis XIV. His contributions to the intricate designs and layouts of these gardens have left a lasting legacy in the world of landscape architecture.
Over the centuries, the BERTAIN surname has been documented in various spellings, including BERTAIN, BERTAYNE, and BERTAINE. These variations likely arose due to regional dialects, scribal errors, or individual preferences in spelling and pronunciation.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Bertain
Among Census respondents with the surname Bertain, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.0%) and Two or More Races (3.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Bertain 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 Bertain surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White88.0% · 103
- Hispanic or Latino6.0% · 7
- Two or more races3.4% · 4
- American Indian and Alaska Native2.6% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Bertain
Bertain 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
#150,452
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 109
+0 bearers (+0.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 9,696 places
2020
#144,270
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 117
+8 bearers (+7.3%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 6,182 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #140,756 | 109 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #150,452 | 109 | 0.04 | +0 bearers (+0.0%) | Down 9,696 places |
| 2020 | #144,270 | 117 | 0.04 | +8 bearers (+7.3%) | Up 6,182 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 Bertain 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 | #150,452 | #144,270 | 4.1% |
| Count | 109 | 117 | 7.3% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -2.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Bertain bearers went from 109 to 117 (+7.3% change). The surname moved up 6,182 positions in the national ranking, going from #150,452 to #144,270.
FAQ
Bertain surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Bertain?
Name Census estimates that about 134 living Americans carry the surname Bertain. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,557,868 residents.
How common is Bertain?
Bertain ranks #144,270 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 117 people with the surname Bertain. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (134), 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 Bertain.
Has Bertain become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Bertain went from 109 recorded bearers to 117. That is an increase of 8 (+7.3%). In the national ranking it rose from #150,452 to #144,270.
What does the Census say about the background of Bertain?
Among Census respondents with the surname Bertain, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.0%) and Two or More Races (3.4%). 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 Bertain in the 2020 Census, accounting for 88.0% (103 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Bertain appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (88.0%), Hispanic (6.0%), Two or More Races (3.4%). 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 Bertain (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 Bertain mean?
French surname indicating someone from a specific place called Bertain. 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 Bertain (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 many people have the last name Bertain?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many people have the last name Bertain at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.