2000
#1,834
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 17,969
First available Census row
Per 100,000 6.66
Uncommon Last name
Bernstein
A Jewish surname derived from the German words "bern" (bear) and "stein" (stone), likely referring to a tough or strong person.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 19,029 Americans carry the last name Bernstein. That puts it at #2,122 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 5.55 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 18,012 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Bernstein 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 Bernstein with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
19K
1 in 18,012
Census rank
#2,122
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
5.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
17K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 16,594 bearers of the surname Bernstein in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 5.55 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 2122nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Bernstein, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.2%) and Two or More Races (2.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Bernstein
The surname Bernstein is of German origin, derived from the words "Bern" meaning bear and "stein" meaning stone, essentially translating to "bear stone" or "bear's den." It is believed to have originated in the Rhineland region of Germany during the Middle Ages.
Bernstein was initially used as a topographic name, referring to someone who lived near a rock formation or cave that was associated with bears. It may also have been an occupational name for someone who worked with bears, such as a bear hunter or trainer.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Bernstein can be found in the Codex Diplomaticus, a collection of medieval documents from the region of Saxony, dating back to the 12th century. The name is also mentioned in the Annals of Fulda, a historical chronicle written in the 9th century.
In the late 13th century, a nobleman named Rudolf von Bernstein was mentioned in the records of the city of Nürnberg. He was a prominent figure in the region and owned several estates in the area.
During the Renaissance period, a famous Dutch artist named Hieronymus van Bernstein (1518-1592) gained recognition for his paintings and engravings. His works can be found in various museums across Europe.
In the 18th century, a German philosopher and writer named Johann Gottfried Bernstein (1719-1784) made significant contributions to the field of aesthetics and the study of beauty.
Another notable figure was Helene Bernstein (1880-1957), a German-born American author and activist. She was involved in the women's suffrage movement and wrote several books on feminist issues.
The Bernstein name also gained prominence in the field of music with the German-American composer and conductor Leonard Bernstein (1918-1990), who is widely regarded as one of the most influential figures in American classical music.
Throughout history, the surname Bernstein has been found in various regions of Germany, as well as in other parts of Europe and North America, where German immigrants settled. While the spelling may have varied slightly over time, the name has maintained its distinct German origins and associations with bears and stone formations.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Bernstein
Among Census respondents with the surname Bernstein, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.2%) and Two or More Races (2.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Bernstein 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 Bernstein surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.6% · 15,366
- Hispanic or Latino3.2% · 537
- Two or more races2.2% · 373
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.0% · 165
- Black or African American0.8% · 139
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 14
Timeline
Historical Census data for Bernstein
Bernstein 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
#2,015
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 17,916
-53 bearers (-0.3%)
Per 100,000 6.07
Rank movement Down 181 places
2020
#2,122
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 16,594
-1,322 bearers (-7.4%)
Per 100,000 5.55
Rank movement Down 107 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #1,834 | 17,969 | 6.66 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #2,015 | 17,916 | 6.07 | -53 bearers (-0.3%) | Down 181 places |
| 2020 | #2,122 | 16,594 | 5.55 | -1,322 bearers (-7.4%) | Down 107 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 Bernstein 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 | #2,015 | #2,122 | -5.3% |
| Count | 17,916 | 16,594 | -7.4% |
| Per 100K | 6.07 | 5.55 | -8.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Bernstein bearers went from 17,916 to 16,594 (-7.4% change). The surname moved down 107 positions in the national ranking, going from #2,015 to #2,122.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Bernstein
FAQ
Bernstein surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Bernstein?
Name Census estimates that about 19,029 living Americans carry the surname Bernstein. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 18,012 residents.
How common is Bernstein?
Bernstein ranks #2,122 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 5.55 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 16,594 people with the surname Bernstein. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (19,029), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 5.55 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 5.55 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 Bernstein.
Has Bernstein become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Bernstein went from 17,916 recorded bearers to 16,594. That is a decrease of 1,322 (-7.4%). In the national ranking it fell from #2,015 to #2,122.
What does the Census say about the background of Bernstein?
Among Census respondents with the surname Bernstein, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.2%) and Two or More Races (2.2%). 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 Bernstein in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.6% (15,366 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Bernstein appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.6%), Hispanic (3.2%), Two or More Races (2.2%). 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 Bernstein (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 Bernstein mean?
A Jewish surname derived from the German words "bern" (bear) and "stein" (stone), likely referring to a tough or strong person. 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 Bernstein (5.55 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 Bernstein?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.