2000
#59,611
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 317
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.12
Very Rare Last name
Bernsen
A Danish surname meaning "son of Bjorn" (bear).
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 376 Americans carry the last name Bernsen. That puts it at #65,358 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.11 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 911,581 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Bernsen 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
376
1 in 911,581
Census rank
#65,358
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
328
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 328 bearers of the surname Bernsen in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.11 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 65358th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Bernsen, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (8.5%) and Two or More Races (1.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Bernsen
The surname Bernsen is of German origin, tracing its roots back to the Middle Ages. It is believed to have derived from the German word "Bernhard," which means "brave bear." This name was common among the Germanic tribes and was later adopted as a personal name by early Christians.
The earliest recorded instances of the Bernsen surname can be found in various German records from the 13th and 14th centuries. In some regions, the name was also spelled as Bernse, Bernssen, or Bernssen. The variations in spelling were quite common during those times due to the lack of standardized orthography.
One of the earliest known bearers of the Bernsen name was Johann Bernsen, a merchant who lived in the city of Hamburg in the late 15th century. His name appears in several trade records from that era, indicating that the family had established itself in the mercantile circles of northern Germany.
In the 16th century, the Bernsen family spread across different regions of Germany, with some members settling in areas like Saxony and Silesia. During this period, the name was sometimes associated with certain place names, such as Bernsdorf or Bernstadt, suggesting that some branches of the family may have taken their names from the locations where they resided.
One notable figure bearing the Bernsen surname was Hans Bernsen, a Lutheran theologian and reformer who lived in the early 17th century (1583-1651). He was involved in the Protestant Reformation and played a significant role in spreading the teachings of Martin Luther in northern Germany.
Another prominent individual with the Bernsen name was Johann Bernsen, a German composer and organist who lived from 1661 to 1723. He was renowned for his sacred music compositions and served as the organist at the St. Petri Church in Hamburg for many years.
In the 18th century, the Bernsen family continued to flourish in various parts of Germany. Johann Friedrich Bernsen (1722-1799) was a notable jurist and legal scholar who made significant contributions to the development of German jurisprudence during his lifetime.
As the Bernsen family spread across different regions, the surname also found its way into other European countries through migration and intermarriages. For instance, there are records of Bernsens living in the Netherlands and Scandinavia from the 18th century onwards.
Overall, the surname Bernsen has a rich history deeply rooted in German culture and heritage, with its origins dating back to the Middle Ages. While the name has evolved over the centuries and spread across different parts of Europe, it continues to carry the legacy of its brave and resolute beginnings.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Bernsen
Among Census respondents with the surname Bernsen, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (8.5%) and Two or More Races (1.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Bernsen 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 Bernsen surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White89.6% · 294
- Hispanic or Latino8.5% · 28
- Two or more races1.5% · 5
- Black or African American0.3% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Bernsen
Bernsen 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
#65,244
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 304
-13 bearers (-4.1%)
Per 100,000 0.10
Rank movement Down 5,633 places
2020
#65,358
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 328
+24 bearers (+7.9%)
Per 100,000 0.11
Rank movement Down 114 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #59,611 | 317 | 0.12 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #65,244 | 304 | 0.10 | -13 bearers (-4.1%) | Down 5,633 places |
| 2020 | #65,358 | 328 | 0.11 | +24 bearers (+7.9%) | Down 114 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 Bernsen 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 | #65,244 | #65,358 | -0.2% |
| Count | 304 | 328 | 7.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.10 | 0.11 | 9.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Bernsen bearers went from 304 to 328 (+7.9% change). The surname moved down 114 positions in the national ranking, going from #65,244 to #65,358.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Bernsen
FAQ
Bernsen surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Bernsen?
Name Census estimates that about 376 living Americans carry the surname Bernsen. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 911,581 residents.
How common is Bernsen?
Bernsen ranks #65,358 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.11 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 328 people with the surname Bernsen. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (376), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.11 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.11 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 Bernsen.
Has Bernsen become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Bernsen went from 304 recorded bearers to 328. That is an increase of 24 (+7.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #65,244 to #65,358.
What does the Census say about the background of Bernsen?
Among Census respondents with the surname Bernsen, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (8.5%) and Two or More Races (1.5%). 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 Bernsen in the 2020 Census, accounting for 89.6% (294 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Bernsen appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (89.6%), Hispanic (8.5%), Two or More Races (1.5%). 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 Bernsen (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 Bernsen mean?
A Danish surname meaning "son of Bjorn" (bear). 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 Bernsen (0.11 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 last name Bernsen?
For a quick modern take, check how many Americans have the surname Bernsen on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.