2000
#148,244
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 102
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Biernesser
A surname derived from German referring to someone involved with beer production or sales.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 127 Americans carry the last name Biernesser. That puts it at #148,665 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,698,853 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Biernesser 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
127
1 in 2,698,853
Census rank
#148,665
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
111
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 111 bearers of the surname Biernesser in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 148665th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Biernesser, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.6%. The next largest groups are Black (1.8%) and Two or More Races (1.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Biernesser
The surname Biernesser has its origins in Germany, dating back to the late medieval period around the 13th century. It is believed to have originated in the regions of Bavaria and Franconia, where it was likely derived from the old German words "bier" meaning beer, and "esser" meaning eater or drinker. This suggests that the name may have been an occupational surname given to someone who worked in the brewing or tavern trade.
One of the earliest known records of the name Biernesser can be found in the Bavarian town records of Nürnberg from the year 1387, where a certain Hans Biernesser is mentioned as a resident. The name also appears in various other town chronicles and tax records from the surrounding areas during the 15th and 16th centuries.
In the 17th century, the Biernesser name can be found in the parish records of the town of Garmisch-Partenkirchen in Bavaria, where a family bearing this surname resided for several generations. One notable individual was Johann Biernesser (1642-1714), a respected brewer and tavern owner in the town.
As the name spread beyond its original region, it underwent various spelling variations, such as Biernässer, Birnässer, and Byrnässer. These variations can be found in records from other parts of Germany, as well as in neighboring countries like Austria and Switzerland.
Another prominent individual bearing the Biernesser name was Friedrich Biernesser (1807-1892), a German philologist and professor of classical languages at the University of Munich. He was renowned for his scholarly works on ancient Greek and Latin literature.
In the 19th century, the Biernesser name also appeared in the United States, as German immigrants began to settle in various parts of the country. One such individual was Karl Biernesser (1835-1907), a German-born brewer who established a successful brewery in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
Other notable individuals with the Biernesser surname include Heinrich Biernesser (1901-1982), a German artist and sculptor known for his works in bronze and stone, and Annemarie Biernesser (1920-2005), a German writer and children's book author.
Overall, the surname Biernesser has a rich history rooted in the brewing and tavern trade of medieval Germany, and its various spellings and geographical spread reflect the migrations and cultural influences that have shaped its journey over the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Biernesser
Among Census respondents with the surname Biernesser, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.6%. The next largest groups are Black (1.8%) and Two or More Races (1.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Biernesser 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 Biernesser surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White94.6% · 105
- Black or African American1.8% · 2
- Two or more races1.8% · 2
- Hispanic or Latino0.9% · 1
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Biernesser
Biernesser 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
#159,712
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 101
-1 bearers (-1.0%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 11,468 places
2020
#148,665
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 111
+10 bearers (+9.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 11,047 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #148,244 | 102 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #159,712 | 101 | 0.03 | -1 bearers (-1.0%) | Down 11,468 places |
| 2020 | #148,665 | 111 | 0.04 | +10 bearers (+9.9%) | Up 11,047 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 Biernesser 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 | #159,712 | #148,665 | 6.9% |
| Count | 101 | 111 | 9.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.03 | 0.04 | 23.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Biernesser bearers went from 101 to 111 (+9.9% change). The surname moved up 11,047 positions in the national ranking, going from #159,712 to #148,665.
FAQ
Biernesser surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Biernesser?
Name Census estimates that about 127 living Americans carry the surname Biernesser. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,698,853 residents.
How common is Biernesser?
Biernesser ranks #148,665 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 111 people with the surname Biernesser. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (127), 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 Biernesser.
Has Biernesser become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Biernesser went from 101 recorded bearers to 111. That is an increase of 10 (+9.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #159,712 to #148,665.
What does the Census say about the background of Biernesser?
Among Census respondents with the surname Biernesser, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.6%. The next largest groups are Black (1.8%) and Two or More Races (1.8%). 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 Biernesser in the 2020 Census, accounting for 94.6% (105 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Biernesser appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (94.6%), Black (1.8%), Two or More Races (1.8%). 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 Biernesser (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 Biernesser mean?
A surname derived from German referring to someone involved with beer production or sales. 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 Biernesser (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 surname Biernesser?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.