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

Birge, 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 Birge surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Birge in America

Birge is the 12339th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Birge surname appeared 2,520 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Birge.

We can also compare 2010 data for Birge 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 Birge

The surname Birge originates from the Old French word "berge" meaning "riverbank" or "hillside". It is believed to have first emerged in the northern regions of France during the early medieval period, likely as a locational name given to someone who lived near a riverbank or hillside.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "de Berga". This suggests that the name had already become established in certain parts of Normandy by the time of the Norman Conquest of England in 1066.

As the name spread across Europe, various spelling variations emerged, including Berge, Berghe, and Byrge. In England, the surname took on the form Birge, and it is thought to have been introduced by Norman settlers following the conquest.

One notable early bearer of the name was Sir John Birge, a 13th-century English knight who served under King Edward I. He was involved in the Wars of Scottish Independence and participated in the siege of Caerlaverock Castle in 1300.

In the 14th century, the Birge family held lands in the county of Hertfordshire, as evidenced by records mentioning a John Birge of Sawbridgeworth in 1327. This branch of the family likely took their name from the nearby village of Birge Green, a place name derived from the Old English words "byrg" and "grene", meaning "hill" and "green" respectively.

Another significant figure bearing the Birge name was Richard Birge, a 16th-century English Protestant reformer and martyr. Born in 1532, he was burned at the stake in 1588 during the reign of Queen Mary I for his religious beliefs.

In the 17th century, members of the Birge family were among the early settlers of the American colonies. Thomas Birge, born in 1615 in Shalford, Essex, England, emigrated to Massachusetts Bay Colony in 1635 and later became one of the founders of Norwich, Connecticut.

Throughout history, the Birge surname has been borne by several other notable individuals, including John Birge (1583-1630), an English clergyman and religious writer; Joseph Birge (1783-1848), an American politician and lawyer from Vermont; and Henry Griggs Birge (1860-1936), a prominent American physicist and educator.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Birge

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

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

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

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