Explore the Family Name Berge
The meaning of Berge
1. Norwegian and Swedish: variant of Berg, from the dative form. As a Norwegian surname, this is a habitational name from any of numerous farms so named all over the country. 2. German: topographic name for a person by or on a hill, from an extended form of Berg (formerly with a preposition with dative case, e.g. am Berge). 3. French: topographic name for someone who lived on a steep river bank, from Old French berge ‘river bank’. Compare Laberge. 4. French (Bergé): variant of Berger, either French, meaning ‘shepherd’, or German. Compare Barga. 5. French: variant of Barge ‘boat, barge’. 6. English: variant of Bergh. 7. English: metathesized form of Bridge. The -e- represents the southeastern vowel development in Middle English of Old English /y/ in brycg ‘bridge’ (compare Burge). Compare also Birge. Some characteristic forenames: Scandinavian Maren, Johan, Karsten, Alf, Bent, Erik, Gudmund, Knud, Peer, Per, Sten, Thor.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Berge in the United States?
The surname Berge, based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, saw a slight decrease in popularity from 2000 to 2010. In 2000, it ranked as the 8991st most common surname and dropped to the 9446th position in 2010 - a change of roughly -5.06%. Despite this decrease in rank, the actual count of individuals with the Berge surname increased slightly by 2.99%, from 3344 to 3444 people. Consequently, the proportion of the Berge surname per 100k people decreased by -5.65%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #8,991 | #9,446 | -5.06% |
| Count | 3,344 | 3,444 | 2.99% |
| Proportion per 100k | 1.24 | 1.17 | -5.65% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Berge
Breaking down the surname Berge by ethnicity using the Decennial U.S. Census data, there were some notable shifts between 2000 and 2010. The largest increase was seen within the Hispanic community, with a significant growth rate of 74.06%, followed by the Asian/Pacific Islander group at 35.56%. The category of two or more races also saw an increase of 19.61%. On the contrary, the percentage of those identifying as White with this surname decreased by -1.90%. Small decreases were also seen among those identifying as Black (-7.14%) and American Indian and Alaskan Native (-23.33%).
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 95.28% | 93.47% | -1.9% |
| Hispanic | 2.12% | 3.69% | 74.06% |
| Two or More Races | 1.02% | 1.22% | 19.61% |
| Black | 0.84% | 0.78% | -7.14% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.45% | 0.61% | 35.56% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.3% | 0.23% | -23.33% |
Berge ancestry composition
23andMe computes an ancestry breakdown for each customer. People may have ancestry from just one population or they may have ancestry from several populations. The most commonly-observed ancestry found in people with the surname Berge is Scandinavian, which comprises 30.2% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are British & Irish (28.9%) and French & German (22.4%). Additional ancestries include Eastern European, Italian, Spanish & Portuguese, Ashkenazi Jewish, and Iranian, Caucasian & Mesopotamian.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| Scandinavian | 30.2% |
| British & Irish | 28.9% |
| French & German | 22.4% |
| Other | 18.5% |
Possible origins of the surname Berge
Your DNA provides clues about where your recent ancestors may have lived. Having many distant relatives in the same location suggests that you may all share common ancestry there. Locations with many distant relatives can also be places where people have migrated recently, such as large cities. If a large number of individuals who share your surname have distant relatives in a specific area, it could indicate a connection between your surname and that location, stemming from either recent ancestral ties or migration.
Based on 23andMe data, people with last name Berge have recent ancestry locations in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Tyne And Wear, United Kingdom | 64.40% |
| West Midlands, United Kingdom | 64.40% |
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 64.40% |
| Glasgow City, United Kingdom | 64.40% |
| Lancashire, United Kingdom | 63.50% |
What Berge haplogroups can tell you
Haplogroups are genetic population groups that share a common ancestor on either your paternal or maternal line. These paternal and maternal haplogroups shed light on your genetic ancestry and help tell the story of your family.
The top paternal haplogroup of people with the surname Berge is R-P312, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup R-P312 is descended from haplogroup R-M343. Other common haplogroups include I-L22 and R-Z284, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Quist, Eide, Henriksen, Ellingson, Evenson, Papp, Berglund, Krohn, Thorson, Poulsen.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Berge surname are: H1, J1c, H. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European ancestry.
Paternal Haplogroup Origins R-M343Your maternal lineage may be linked to Marie Antoinette
Because it is so dominant in the general European population, haplogroup H also appears quite frequently in the continent's royal houses. Marie Antoinette, an Austrian Hapsburg who married into the French royal family, inherited the haplogroup from her maternal ancestors. So did Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, whose recorded genealogy traces his female line to Bavaria. Scientists also discovered that famed 16th century astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus traced his maternal lineages to haplogroup H.
What do people with the surname Berge have in common?
Spoiler alert: it's complicated. People with the same last name are usually no more genetically similar than a randomly sampled group of people from the same population. That said, people with the same surname are more likely to have similar ancestries than randomly sampled individuals. The reason is the tendency of people with similar cultural or geographical backgrounds to preferentially mate with one another. That's why people who share a surname may be more likely to share traits and tendencies in common than people within the general population. Check out the percentages below to see the prevalences of tastes, habits, and traits of people with your surname compared with prevalences among 23andMe users.
Preferences
Chocolate Ice Cream
Prefers chocolate flavored ice cream over other flavors.
"Berge" Surname 47.2%
23andMe Users 41.3%
Traits
Misophonia
When sounds made by others, like the sound of chewing or yawning, provoke strong emotional reactions in an individual.
"Berge" Surname 21.4%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Berge" Surname 30.0%
23andMe Users 21.1%
Wellness
Migraine
A severe headache characterized by intense pain, sensitivity to light and sound, and often accompanied by nausea and vomiting.
"Berge" Surname 18.5%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Berge?
The short answer is that, if there is an association between surname and health, it's usually more about your ancestry than your name. Individuals with a given surname are no more genetically similar than the general population but often have similar ancestries. The populations of people associated with those shared ancestries often have sets of genetic variations, also known as alleles, in common. Some of those alleles are associated with a greater likelihood of developing certain diseases.
Disease variant frequency by ancestry
Disease allele frequencies in populations associated with the surname Berge are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition