2000
#98,770
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 170
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.06
Very Rare Last name
Berle
A variant of the German surname Berli, itself derived from a place name.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 183 Americans carry the last name Berle. That puts it at #115,686 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.05 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 1,872,975 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Berle 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
183
1 in 1,872,975
Census rank
#115,686
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
160
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 160 bearers of the surname Berle in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.05 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 115686th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Berle, the largest self-reported group is White at 80.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (11.9%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (3.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Berle
The surname BERLE originates from the Gaelic language and can be traced back to the ancient Britons who lived in what is now Scotland and Northern England. It is believed to have been derived from the Old English word "beorh," meaning hill or barrow.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name BERLE can be found in the Domesday Book, a manuscript compiled in 1086 under the orders of William the Conqueror. The name appears as "Berle," referring to a landowner in the county of Wiltshire.
During the Middle Ages, the BERLE surname was prominent in various regions of England, particularly in the northern counties. Several variations of the spelling emerged, including Berley, Burley, and Burleigh, reflecting the regional dialects and pronunciations.
In the 14th century, a notable figure bearing the name BERLE was Sir John Berle, a knight who fought alongside Edward III during the Hundred Years' War. He was born in 1320 and died in 1375.
The BERLE surname also has connections to place names, such as Berley in Derbyshire and Burley in Hampshire. These locations likely contributed to the widespread use of the surname in those areas.
Another prominent individual with the BERLE surname was William Berle, a renowned English scholar and priest who lived from 1460 to 1535. He was known for his contributions to the field of theology and his writings on religious matters.
In Scotland, the BERLE surname was often associated with the Clan MacLaren, a Highland clan with a long and storied history. One notable member of this clan was Alexander Berle, born in 1598, who served as a Scottish soldier and played a role in the Wars of the Three Kingdoms.
As the BERLE surname spread throughout the British Isles, it also found its way to other parts of the world through emigration. In the 17th century, John Berle, born in 1635, was among the early settlers who established the colony of Virginia in the New World.
Another individual of note was Milton Berle, an American comedian and actor who was born in 1908 and died in 2002. He was often referred to as "Mr. Television" and played a significant role in the early days of the medium.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Berle
Among Census respondents with the surname Berle, the largest self-reported group is White at 80.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (11.9%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (3.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Berle 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 Berle surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White80.6% · 129
- Two or more races11.9% · 19
- Asian and Pacific Islander3.1% · 5
- Hispanic or Latino1.9% · 3
- Black or African American1.3% · 2
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.3% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Berle
Berle 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
#119,508
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 145
-25 bearers (-14.7%)
Per 100,000 0.05
Rank movement Down 20,738 places
2020
#115,686
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 160
+15 bearers (+10.3%)
Per 100,000 0.05
Rank movement Up 3,822 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #98,770 | 170 | 0.06 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #119,508 | 145 | 0.05 | -25 bearers (-14.7%) | Down 20,738 places |
| 2020 | #115,686 | 160 | 0.05 | +15 bearers (+10.3%) | Up 3,822 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 Berle 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 | #119,508 | #115,686 | 3.2% |
| Count | 145 | 160 | 10.3% |
| Per 100K | 0.05 | 0.05 | 7.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Berle bearers went from 145 to 160 (+10.3% change). The surname moved up 3,822 positions in the national ranking, going from #119,508 to #115,686.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Berle
FAQ
Berle surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Berle?
Name Census estimates that about 183 living Americans carry the surname Berle. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 1,872,975 residents.
How common is Berle?
Berle ranks #115,686 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.05 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 160 people with the surname Berle. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (183), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.05 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.05 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 Berle.
Has Berle become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Berle went from 145 recorded bearers to 160. That is an increase of 15 (+10.3%). In the national ranking it rose from #119,508 to #115,686.
What does the Census say about the background of Berle?
Among Census respondents with the surname Berle, the largest self-reported group is White at 80.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (11.9%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (3.1%). 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 Berle in the 2020 Census, accounting for 80.6% (129 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Berle appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (80.6%), Two or More Races (11.9%), Asian/Pacific Islander (3.1%). 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 Berle (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 Berle mean?
A variant of the German surname Berli, itself derived from a place name. 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 Berle (0.05 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 Berle?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.