Explore the Family Name Bergman
The meaning of Bergman
1. Swedish: ornamental or topographic name from berg ‘mountain, hill’ + man ‘man’, or a habitational name for someone from a place named with the word berg. The surname, which is also found in Finland, may also be of German (compare 3 below) or Dutch (see 2 below) origin. 2. Dutch: topographic name denoting an upland dweller, from berg (see Berg) ‘mountain, hill’ + man ‘man’. 3. Altered form of German and Jewish (Ashkenazic) Bergmann. This form of the surname is also found in Czechia, Poland, and some other European countries.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Bergman in the United States?
The surname Bergman has experienced a minor dip in popularity over the decade, according to data from the Decennial U.S. Census. In 2000, Bergman was ranked 1868th most popular surname but dropped to 2021st by 2010, representing an 8.19% decrease. Despite this drop in rank, the actual count of individuals with the Bergman surname slightly increased from 17,671 to 17,846 between 2000 and 2010, a growth of nearly 1%. However, when considering the proportion per 100k people, the popularity of the Bergman name decreased by 7.63% over the same period.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #1,868 | #2,021 | -8.19% |
| Count | 17,671 | 17,846 | 0.99% |
| Proportion per 100k | 6.55 | 6.05 | -7.63% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Bergman
The ethnic identity associated with the surname Bergman also saw shifts between 2000 to 2010 as per the Decennial U.S. Census data. The percentage of Asian/Pacific Islanders with the Bergman surname saw a significant increase of 35.56%, although it remained a small proportion of the total. Those identifying with two or more races also increased from 0.94% to 1.47%, a considerable growth of 56.38%. The Hispanic population saw a notable increase of 53.96%. While Whites made up the largest proportion with the Bergman surname at 94.37% in 2010 (down from 95.87% in 2000), the Black population slightly increased from 0.80% to 0.89%. The American Indian and Alaskan Native population saw a minor decrease of 1.85%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 95.87% | 94.37% | -1.56% |
| Hispanic | 1.39% | 2.14% | 53.96% |
| Two or More Races | 0.94% | 1.47% | 56.38% |
| Black | 0.8% | 0.89% | 11.25% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.45% | 0.61% | 35.56% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.54% | 0.53% | -1.85% |
Bergman 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 Bergman is British & Irish, which comprises 27.5% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (26.9%) and Ashkenazi Jewish (17.7%). Additional ancestries include Scandinavian, Eastern European, Italian, Spanish & Portuguese, and Finnish.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| British & Irish | 27.5% |
| French & German | 26.9% |
| Ashkenazi Jewish | 17.7% |
| Other | 27.8% |
Possible origins of the surname Bergman
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 Bergman have recent ancestry locations in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 62.50% |
| Greater Manchester, United Kingdom | 62.50% |
| Merseyside, United Kingdom | 62.30% |
| Tyne And Wear, United Kingdom | 62.30% |
| Glasgow City, United Kingdom | 61.50% |
What Bergman 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 Bergman is I-L22, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup I-L22 is descended from haplogroup I-M170. Other common haplogroups include R-U152 and R-Z282, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Herman, Klein, Jacobson, Schneider, Jacobs, Fischer, Kramer, Berg, Nelson, Schmidt.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Bergman surname are: H1, T2b, H. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European ancestry.
Paternal Haplogroup Origins I-M170
Your paternal lineage may be linked to many northern European men
If you have haplogroup I1a1b, your paternal line stems from a young branch of I-M253 called I-L22, which likely arose in the last 3,000 years. I-L22 is most common in Northern Europe, but a recent study found that this haplogroup was present in a significant portion of the Partecipanza population living in San Giovanni in Persiceto, Italy. The area of San Giovanni in Persiceto was involved in a migration period in 728 AD, when it became part of the Lombard kingdom, under King Aistulf. San Giovanni in Persiceto was only under Lombard rule for 48 years, after which the Lombards were defeated by King Charlemagne in 776 AD. There are several characteristics of San Giovanni in Persiceto that link it to other Lombard settlements. For instance, some research suggests San Giovanni in Persiceto was the seat of a Lombard Duke between 750 and 800 AD. It is possible that the Lombards who ruled over San Giovanni in Persiceto played an important role in the introduction and growth of haplogroup I-L22 in the region.
Your 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 Bergman 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.
"Bergman" Surname 43.8%
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.
"Bergman" Surname 27.9%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Bergman" Surname 17.2%
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.
"Bergman" Surname 15.1%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Bergman?
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 Bergman are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition