2000
#2,830
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 11,619
First available Census row
Per 100,000 4.31
Uncommon Last name
Bertrand
A French topographic surname for someone living near a castle or fortification, derived from Germanic roots meaning "bright raven."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 13,937 Americans carry the last name Bertrand. That puts it at #2,887 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 4.07 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 24,593 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Bertrand 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Bertrand with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
14K
1 in 24,593
Census rank
#2,887
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
4.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
12K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 12,154 bearers of the surname Bertrand in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 4.07 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 2887th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Bertrand, the largest self-reported group is White at 75.6%. The next largest groups are Black (14.5%) and Hispanic (5.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Bertrand
The surname Bertrand has its origins in France, dating back to the Middle Ages. It is derived from the Germanic personal name Bertrand, which is composed of the elements "berhta" meaning "bright" and "hramn" meaning "raven." The name was initially popularized by the Frankish rulers and nobles during the Merovingian and Carolingian dynasties.
The earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in medieval charters and records from the 9th century onwards. One notable mention is in the Domesday Book of 1086, where a certain Bertrand de Verdun is listed as a landowner in Staffordshire, England. This indicates that the name had already spread beyond its French origins by the 11th century.
During the High Middle Ages, the Bertrand family established itself as a prominent noble house in various regions of France, particularly in the southern provinces. One of the earliest recorded members was Bertrand de Born (c. 1140-1215), a famous Occitan troubadour and military leader who played a significant role in the conflicts between Henry II of England and his sons.
Another notable figure was Bertrand du Guesclin (c. 1320-1380), a Breton knight and one of the most celebrated military commanders of the Hundred Years' War. He served as Constable of France under King Charles V and was instrumental in driving the English out of many territories, earning him the epithet "The Eagle of Brittany."
In the 15th century, the Bertrand family produced several influential figures in the Church, including Pierre Bertrand (c. 1400-1468), a French cardinal and diplomat who played a crucial role in the Council of Basel and the Pragmatic Sanction of Bourges. His nephew, Guillaume Bertrand (c. 1430-1494), also became a cardinal and served as Bishop of Le Mans.
During the Renaissance, the Bertrand name was associated with notable scholars and writers. One such figure was Jean Bertrand (c. 1470-1536), a French humanist and poet who served as the principal of the Collège de Navarre in Paris and was renowned for his Latin poetry and translations.
Throughout history, variations of the name have included Bertran, Bertram, and Bertrane, often reflecting regional dialects or spellings. Additionally, several place names in France, such as Bertrandfosse and Bertrambois, are derived from the Bertrand surname, further highlighting its historical significance.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Bertrand
Among Census respondents with the surname Bertrand, the largest self-reported group is White at 75.6%. The next largest groups are Black (14.5%) and Hispanic (5.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Bertrand 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 Bertrand surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White75.6% · 9,188
- Black or African American14.5% · 1,760
- Hispanic or Latino5.6% · 683
- Two or more races3.4% · 413
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 77
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 33
Timeline
Historical Census data for Bertrand
Bertrand 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
#2,881
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 12,461
+842 bearers (+7.2%)
Per 100,000 4.22
Rank movement Down 51 places
2020
#2,887
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 12,154
-307 bearers (-2.5%)
Per 100,000 4.07
Rank movement Down 6 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #2,830 | 11,619 | 4.31 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #2,881 | 12,461 | 4.22 | +842 bearers (+7.2%) | Down 51 places |
| 2020 | #2,887 | 12,154 | 4.07 | -307 bearers (-2.5%) | Down 6 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 Bertrand 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 | #2,881 | #2,887 | -0.2% |
| Count | 12,461 | 12,154 | -2.5% |
| Per 100K | 4.22 | 4.07 | -3.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Bertrand bearers went from 12,461 to 12,154 (-2.5% change). The surname moved down 6 positions in the national ranking, going from #2,881 to #2,887.
FAQ
Bertrand surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Bertrand?
Name Census estimates that about 13,937 living Americans carry the surname Bertrand. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 24,593 residents.
How common is Bertrand?
Bertrand ranks #2,887 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 4.07 per 100,000 residents, which is about 4 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 12,154 people with the surname Bertrand. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (13,937), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 4.07 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 4.07 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 4 of them to have the surname Bertrand.
Has Bertrand become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Bertrand went from 12,461 recorded bearers to 12,154. That is a decrease of 307 (-2.5%). In the national ranking it fell from #2,881 to #2,887.
What does the Census say about the background of Bertrand?
Among Census respondents with the surname Bertrand, the largest self-reported group is White at 75.6%. The next largest groups are Black (14.5%) and Hispanic (5.6%). 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 Bertrand in the 2020 Census, accounting for 75.6% (9,188 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Bertrand appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (75.6%), Black (14.5%), Hispanic (5.6%). 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 Bertrand (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 Bertrand mean?
A French topographic surname for someone living near a castle or fortification, derived from Germanic roots meaning "bright raven." 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 Bertrand (4.07 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 share the surname Bertrand?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.