2000
#8,069
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,786
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.40
Rare Last name
Bertsch
A German topographic surname referring to someone who lived near a wooded hill or mountain.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 4,297 Americans carry the last name Bertsch. That puts it at #8,458 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.25 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 79,766 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Bertsch 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
4.3K
1 in 79,766
Census rank
#8,458
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.7K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,747 bearers of the surname Bertsch in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.25 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 8458th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Bertsch, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.0%) and Two or More Races (2.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Bertsch
The surname Bertsch originated in the Alsace region of France, which borders Germany and Switzerland. It dates back to the 13th century, derived from the old German word "beraht" meaning "bright" or "shining." The name was likely initially given as a nickname to someone with a bright or radiant personality.
In its earliest form, the name was spelled "Bereht" or "Beret." Over time, it evolved into various spellings such as Bertsch, Bertschi, and Bertschy. These variations emerged due to regional dialects and the influence of other languages in the Alsace region.
One of the earliest recorded mentions of the name Bertsch can be found in the Liber Vitae, a medieval manuscript from the 14th century. This document lists the names of individuals who made donations or had connections to the monastery of Remiremont in the Vosges region of Alsace.
In the 16th century, the Bertsch name appeared in the records of the city of Strasbourg, which was a prominent trade center at the time. Johannes Bertsch, a merchant born in 1527, was a notable figure who contributed to the city's economic prosperity.
As the name spread beyond the Alsace region, it gained recognition in other parts of Europe. In the 17th century, Johann Bertsch (1601-1678) was a renowned German composer and organist who served at the court of the Margrave of Baden-Durlach.
Another notable bearer of the Bertsch name was Johann Georg Bertsch (1719-1799), a German theologian and philosopher who taught at the University of Tübingen. His works on ethics and moral philosophy were influential during the Enlightenment period.
In the 19th century, the name Bertsch gained prominence in the United States as a result of immigration from Europe. One of the earliest recorded instances is Jacob Bertsch (1805-1884), who emigrated from Alsace and settled in Ohio, where he became a successful farmer and landowner.
Another significant figure was Charles Bertsch (1858-1925), an American businessman and philanthropist from Pennsylvania. He founded the Bertsch Company, which manufactured mining equipment, and made substantial donations to educational institutions.
Despite its French origins, the surname Bertsch has been predominantly associated with German-speaking regions over the centuries, reflecting the cultural and linguistic diversity of the Alsace region where it originated.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Bertsch
Among Census respondents with the surname Bertsch, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.0%) and Two or More Races (2.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Bertsch 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 Bertsch surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.4% · 3,462
- Hispanic or Latino3.0% · 114
- Two or more races2.8% · 104
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 33
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 19
- Black or African American0.4% · 15
Timeline
Historical Census data for Bertsch
Bertsch 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
#8,594
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,832
+46 bearers (+1.2%)
Per 100,000 1.30
Rank movement Down 525 places
2020
#8,458
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,747
-85 bearers (-2.2%)
Per 100,000 1.25
Rank movement Up 136 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #8,069 | 3,786 | 1.40 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #8,594 | 3,832 | 1.30 | +46 bearers (+1.2%) | Down 525 places |
| 2020 | #8,458 | 3,747 | 1.25 | -85 bearers (-2.2%) | Up 136 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 Bertsch 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 | #8,594 | #8,458 | 1.6% |
| Count | 3,832 | 3,747 | -2.2% |
| Per 100K | 1.30 | 1.25 | -3.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Bertsch bearers went from 3,832 to 3,747 (-2.2% change). The surname moved up 136 positions in the national ranking, going from #8,594 to #8,458.
FAQ
Bertsch surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Bertsch?
Name Census estimates that about 4,297 living Americans carry the surname Bertsch. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 79,766 residents.
How common is Bertsch?
Bertsch ranks #8,458 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.25 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 3,747 people with the surname Bertsch. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (4,297), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.25 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.25 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Bertsch.
Has Bertsch become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Bertsch went from 3,832 recorded bearers to 3,747. That is a decrease of 85 (-2.2%). In the national ranking it rose from #8,594 to #8,458.
What does the Census say about the background of Bertsch?
Among Census respondents with the surname Bertsch, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.0%) and Two or More Races (2.8%). 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 Bertsch in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.4% (3,462 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Bertsch appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.4%), Hispanic (3.0%), Two or More Races (2.8%). 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 Bertsch (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 Bertsch mean?
A German topographic surname referring to someone who lived near a wooded hill or mountain. 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 Bertsch (1.25 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 Bertsch?
Want to know how many Americans have the surname Bertsch? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.