2000
#105,374
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 157
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.06
Very Rare Last name
Berenger
A French surname derived from the given name Berenger, ultimately from Germanic elements meaning "bear" and "spear."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 251 Americans carry the last name Berenger. That puts it at #90,519 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.07 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 1,365,555 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Berenger 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
251
1 in 1,365,555
Census rank
#90,519
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
219
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 219 bearers of the surname Berenger in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.07 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 90519th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Berenger, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (9.1%) and Two or More Races (3.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Berenger
The surname Berenger is of Old French origin, derived from the Germanic personal name Berengarius, which itself comes from the elements "bera" meaning "bear" and "gari" meaning "spear". It is believed to have originated in the regions of Normandy and Brittany in northern France during the medieval period.
The earliest recorded instances of the name Berenger can be found in the Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of England commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. Several individuals bearing variations of the name, such as Berenger and Berengarius, are listed as landowners and tenants in various counties across the country.
One notable individual who bore this surname was Berenger I, the Count of Provence from 1112 to 1144. He played a significant role in the political and military affairs of southern France during the 12th century, participating in the Second Crusade and engaging in conflicts with the County of Barcelona.
Another historical figure was Berenger II of Navarre, who ruled as the Count of Navarre from 1191 to 1234. He was a key figure in the Reconquista, the centuries-long campaign to reclaim the Iberian Peninsula from Moorish rule, and was instrumental in the expansion of the Kingdom of Navarre during his reign.
In the realm of literature, Berenger de Tours was a 12th-century French poet and trouvère, known for his contributions to the development of courtly love poetry. His works were widely circulated and influential in the literary circles of medieval France.
The surname Berenger also has connections to various place names throughout Europe. For instance, the village of Berenger in the department of Marne, France, likely derived its name from an early bearer of the surname. Similarly, the town of Berengarville in Normandy may have originated from a landowner with the name Berenger or a variation thereof.
Over the centuries, the surname Berenger has undergone various spelling variations, including Berenger, Berengier, Beringer, and Beringar, among others. These variations were often influenced by regional dialects and scribal practices in different parts of Europe where the name was present.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Berenger
Among Census respondents with the surname Berenger, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (9.1%) and Two or More Races (3.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Berenger 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 Berenger surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White84.5% · 185
- Hispanic or Latino9.1% · 20
- Two or more races3.7% · 8
- Asian and Pacific Islander2.3% · 5
- Black or African American0.5% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Berenger
Berenger 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
#111,426
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 158
+1 bearers (+0.6%)
Per 100,000 0.05
Rank movement Down 6,052 places
2020
#90,519
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 219
+61 bearers (+38.6%)
Per 100,000 0.07
Rank movement Up 20,907 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #105,374 | 157 | 0.06 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #111,426 | 158 | 0.05 | +1 bearers (+0.6%) | Down 6,052 places |
| 2020 | #90,519 | 219 | 0.07 | +61 bearers (+38.6%) | Up 20,907 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 Berenger 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 | #111,426 | #90,519 | 18.8% |
| Count | 158 | 219 | 38.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.05 | 0.07 | 46.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Berenger bearers went from 158 to 219 (+38.6% change). The surname moved up 20,907 positions in the national ranking, going from #111,426 to #90,519.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Berenger
FAQ
Berenger surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Berenger?
Name Census estimates that about 251 living Americans carry the surname Berenger. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 1,365,555 residents.
How common is Berenger?
Berenger ranks #90,519 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.07 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 219 people with the surname Berenger. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (251), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.07 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.07 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 Berenger.
Has Berenger become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Berenger went from 158 recorded bearers to 219. That is an increase of 61 (+38.6%). In the national ranking it rose from #111,426 to #90,519.
What does the Census say about the background of Berenger?
Among Census respondents with the surname Berenger, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (9.1%) and Two or More Races (3.7%). 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 Berenger in the 2020 Census, accounting for 84.5% (185 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Berenger appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (84.5%), Hispanic (9.1%), Two or More Races (3.7%). 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 Berenger (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 Berenger mean?
A French surname derived from the given name Berenger, ultimately from Germanic elements meaning "bear" and "spear." 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 Berenger (0.07 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 have the surname Berenger?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.