Bernadette Peters
There are approximately 15 people named Bernadette Peters living in the United States today. That makes this name combination very rare, occurring at a rate of about 1 in 22,850,289 Americans.
This estimate combines SSA birth records for the first name Bernadette with Census Bureau frequency data for the surname Peters. Below you will find a breakdown of both names, including popularity trends, gender data, and Census demographics where available.
Expected bearers
15
1 in 22,850,289
Named Bernadette
35K
Alive today
Named Peters
151K
Alive today
US population
343M
Denominator
Estimated living: 35K
Rarity: Uncommon
Gender: Female
Peak year: 1958
Average age: 57
Top Census group: White (59.1%)
Estimated bearers: 151K
Rarity: Common
Census rank: #215
Per 100K: 44.19
Top ancestry: White (79.5%)
First name trend
Bernadette: popularity over time
Year-by-year SSA birth registrations for the first name Bernadette. The peak year was 1958 with 1,494 births. The average person named Bernadette today is 57 years old.
Babies born per year
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Bernadette
Self-reported race and ethnicity breakdown for people with the first name Bernadette, from the 2020 US Census Bureau first-name tables. The largest published group is White at 59.1%.
The bar chart below shows how people with the first name Bernadette described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. These are self-reported numbers, and they describe the population who happened to carry the name Bernadette at the time of the Census. A first name does not determine a person's race or ethnicity.
- White59.1% · 26,138
- Black or African American17.3% · 7,635
- Hispanic or Latino12.0% · 5,320
- Asian and Pacific Islander8.2% · 3,619
- Two or more races2.3% · 1,028
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.2% · 519
Ethnicity
Ancestry of the Peters surname
Self-reported race and ethnicity breakdown for people with the surname Peters, from the 2020 US Census Bureau. The largest group is White at 79.5%.
The bar chart below shows how people with the surname Peters described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. These are self-reported numbers, and they describe the population who happened to carry the surname Peters at the time of the Census. A surname does not determine a person's race or ethnicity.
- White79.5% · 105,066
- Black or African American10.5% · 13,899
- Two or more races3.8% · 5,041
- Hispanic or Latino3.7% · 4,825
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.2% · 1,644
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.2% · 1,623
Methodology
How we calculated this
The first name Bernadette has a living-bearer frequency of 0.0101% of the US population, based on 34,636 estimated living Americans carrying this first name (from SSA birth records going back to 1880, adjusted for mortality using CDC life tables).
Even though the Census Bureau now publishes first-name tables, we do not use that file as the main first-name input for this estimate. The latest first-name Census snapshot is from 2020, which makes it 6 years old today. Because Census first-name data is only released once every 10 years, SSA birth records plus CDC survival rates give a better current estimate of how many people are likely alive with the name Bernadette right now.
The surname Peters appears at a rate of 44.19 per 100,000 residents in the 2020 Census Bureau surname file, which translates to a frequency of 0.0442%.
Multiplying these two independent frequencies against the current US population of 342,754,338 gives an expected count of approximately 15 people with the full name Bernadette Peters. This assumes statistical independence between first and last names, which is a simplification but produces reasonable estimates for most combinations.
Related
Other people with the surname Peters
FAQ
Bernadette Peters: questions and answers
How many people are named Bernadette Peters?
We estimate approximately 15 people in the United States share the full name Bernadette Peters. That works out to about 1 in 22,850,289 Americans. This is calculated by combining the first-name frequency (0.0101%) with the surname frequency (44.19 per 100K) against the current US population.
How rare is the name Bernadette Peters?
We classify Bernadette Peters as "Very Rare". About 1 in 22,850,289 Americans share this exact first and last name combination.
Is Bernadette a male or female name?
Bernadette is predominantly female. Out of 54,788 total SSA registrations, 0.1% were male and 99.9% were female. See the full Bernadette profile for detailed gender data.
Where does this data come from?
First-name data comes from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files (1880 to 2024). Surname data comes from the 2020 US Census Bureau decennial surname tables. Living-bearer estimates use CDC actuarial life tables to adjust for mortality. Read the full methodology.
How many Americans are named Bernadette Peters?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.