2000
#1,868
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 17,671
First available Census row
Per 100,000 6.55
Uncommon Last name
Bergman
Derived from German, referring to someone who lived near or worked in the mountains or hills.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 20,087 Americans carry the last name Bergman. That puts it at #2,020 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 5.86 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 17,063 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Bergman 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 Bergman with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
20K
1 in 17,063
Census rank
#2,020
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
5.9
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
18K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 17,517 bearers of the surname Bergman in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 5.86 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 2020th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Bergman, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.0%) and Hispanic (3.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Bergman
The surname Bergman originated in Sweden and Germany, with roots dating back to the 13th century. It is derived from the Old Norse words "berg" meaning mountain or hill, and "mann" meaning man or person. The name likely referred to someone who lived near or worked on a mountain or hill.
In Sweden, the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Landskapshandlingar, medieval records from various provinces, including Västergötland and Småland. One of the earliest known bearers was a man named Bertil Bergman, mentioned in a document from Östergötland in 1296.
The name also has a long history in Germany, where it was often spelled "Bergmann" or "Bergman". One of the earliest recorded instances is from a document in Saxony in 1374, referring to a man named Hans Bergman.
In the 16th century, the name appeared in the Vadstena klostrers jordeböcker, land registers of the Vadstena Abbey in Sweden. A notable entry from 1521 mentions a man named Olof Bergman who owned land in Östergötland.
Some famous historical figures with the surname include Torbern Bergman (1735-1784), a Swedish chemist and mineralogist who is considered one of the founders of modern physical chemistry. Another is Ingrid Bergman (1915-1982), the renowned Swedish actress who won three Academy Awards and is remembered for her roles in films such as "Casablanca" and "Notorious".
Other notable Bergmans include Ernst Bergman (1836-1907), a Swedish philosopher and writer, and Hjalmar Bergman (1883-1931), a Swedish writer and playwright. In the United States, Roy Bergman (1912-1987) was a successful businessman and philanthropist who founded the Bergman Cherry Company.
While the name has evolved over centuries and spread across different regions, its origins can be traced back to the rugged landscapes of Scandinavia and Germany, where it was likely bestowed upon those who lived or worked in the mountains and hills.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Bergman
Among Census respondents with the surname Bergman, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.0%) and Hispanic (3.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Bergman 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 Bergman surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.5% · 16,023
- Two or more races3.0% · 532
- Hispanic or Latino3.0% · 528
- Black or African American1.2% · 208
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 137
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 89
Timeline
Historical Census data for Bergman
Bergman 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
#2,021
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 17,846
+175 bearers (+1.0%)
Per 100,000 6.05
Rank movement Down 153 places
2020
#2,020
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 17,517
-329 bearers (-1.8%)
Per 100,000 5.86
Rank movement Up 1 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #1,868 | 17,671 | 6.55 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #2,021 | 17,846 | 6.05 | +175 bearers (+1.0%) | Down 153 places |
| 2020 | #2,020 | 17,517 | 5.86 | -329 bearers (-1.8%) | Up 1 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 Bergman 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 | #2,021 | #2,020 | 0.0% |
| Count | 17,846 | 17,517 | -1.8% |
| Per 100K | 6.05 | 5.86 | -3.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Bergman bearers went from 17,846 to 17,517 (-1.8% change). The surname moved up 1 positions in the national ranking, going from #2,021 to #2,020.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Bergman
FAQ
Bergman surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Bergman?
Name Census estimates that about 20,087 living Americans carry the surname Bergman. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 17,063 residents.
How common is Bergman?
Bergman ranks #2,020 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 5.86 per 100,000 residents, which is about 6 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 17,517 people with the surname Bergman. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (20,087), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 5.86 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 5.86 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 6 of them to have the surname Bergman.
Has Bergman become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Bergman went from 17,846 recorded bearers to 17,517. That is a decrease of 329 (-1.8%). In the national ranking it rose from #2,021 to #2,020.
What does the Census say about the background of Bergman?
Among Census respondents with the surname Bergman, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.0%) and Hispanic (3.0%). 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 Bergman in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.5% (16,023 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Bergman appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.5%), Two or More Races (3.0%), Hispanic (3.0%). 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 Bergman (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 Bergman mean?
Derived from German, referring to someone who lived near or worked in the mountains or hills. 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 Bergman (5.86 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 Americans have the surname Bergman?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.