2000
#6,864
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,514
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.67
Rare Last name
Berkley
From the birch tree meadow or clearing, derived from the Old English "beorc" meaning birch tree and "leah" meaning wood or clearing.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 5,158 Americans carry the last name Berkley. That puts it at #7,162 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.50 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 66,451 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Berkley 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 Berkley with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
5.2K
1 in 66,451
Census rank
#7,162
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.5
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
4.5K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 4,498 bearers of the surname Berkley in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.50 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 7162nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Berkley, the largest self-reported group is White at 64.3%. The next largest groups are Black (27.0%) and Two or More Races (3.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Berkley
The surname Berkley originated in England during the Anglo-Saxon period. It is derived from the Old English words "beorc" meaning birch tree and "leah" meaning a clearing or meadow. The name likely referred to someone who lived near a birch clearing or meadow.
The earliest recorded instances of the name date back to the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Berchelai" and "Berchelei." These entries refer to places in Wiltshire and Gloucestershire, respectively. The Berkley family held lands in Somerset, England as early as the 11th century.
In the 13th century, the name was also spelled as "Berkeleye" and "Barkeley." One notable bearer of the name was Sir Maurice de Berkeley (c.1218-1281), a prominent English baron and Lord of Berkeley Castle. His son, Thomas de Berkeley (c.1245-1321), was also a significant figure and served as Lord of Berkeley.
Another important Berkley was Sir William Berkeley (1605-1677), a colonial governor of Virginia who played a key role in the events leading up to Bacon's Rebellion in 1676. He was also a celebrated author and playwright.
In the 18th century, George Berkeley (1685-1753), an Irish philosopher and Bishop of Cloyne, made significant contributions to the field of metaphysics and is best known for his philosophical concept of "immaterialism" or "subjective idealism."
A more recent figure was Busby Berkeley (1895-1976), an American film director and choreographer known for his elaborate musical productions featuring extravagant dance numbers. His innovative choreography and camera work left a lasting impact on the film industry.
While the name has various spellings, including Berkeley, Barkley, and Burkley, the Berkley variation has been consistently used throughout history by notable individuals and families, reflecting its English origins and long-standing presence in the region.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Berkley
Among Census respondents with the surname Berkley, the largest self-reported group is White at 64.3%. The next largest groups are Black (27.0%) and Two or More Races (3.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Berkley 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 Berkley surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White64.3% · 2,893
- Black or African American27.0% · 1,213
- Two or more races3.8% · 169
- Hispanic or Latino3.6% · 162
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 32
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.6% · 29
Timeline
Historical Census data for Berkley
Berkley 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
#7,050
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,750
+236 bearers (+5.2%)
Per 100,000 1.61
Rank movement Down 186 places
2020
#7,162
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,498
-252 bearers (-5.3%)
Per 100,000 1.50
Rank movement Down 112 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #6,864 | 4,514 | 1.67 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #7,050 | 4,750 | 1.61 | +236 bearers (+5.2%) | Down 186 places |
| 2020 | #7,162 | 4,498 | 1.50 | -252 bearers (-5.3%) | Down 112 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 Berkley 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 | #7,050 | #7,162 | -1.6% |
| Count | 4,750 | 4,498 | -5.3% |
| Per 100K | 1.61 | 1.50 | -6.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Berkley bearers went from 4,750 to 4,498 (-5.3% change). The surname moved down 112 positions in the national ranking, going from #7,050 to #7,162.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Berkley
FAQ
Berkley surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Berkley?
Name Census estimates that about 5,158 living Americans carry the surname Berkley. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 66,451 residents.
How common is Berkley?
Berkley ranks #7,162 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.50 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 4,498 people with the surname Berkley. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (5,158), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.5 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.50 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Berkley.
Has Berkley become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Berkley went from 4,750 recorded bearers to 4,498. That is a decrease of 252 (-5.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #7,050 to #7,162.
What does the Census say about the background of Berkley?
Among Census respondents with the surname Berkley, the largest self-reported group is White at 64.3%. The next largest groups are Black (27.0%) and Two or More Races (3.8%). 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 Berkley in the 2020 Census, accounting for 64.3% (2,893 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Berkley appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (64.3%), Black (27.0%), Two or More Races (3.8%). 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 Berkley (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 Berkley mean?
From the birch tree meadow or clearing, derived from the Old English "beorc" meaning birch tree and "leah" meaning wood or clearing. 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 Berkley (1.50 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 Berkley?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.