Explore the Family Name Berlin
The meaning of Berlin
Jewish (Ashkenazic) and German: habitational name from the city of Berlin, capital of Germany. This city takes its name from a West Slavic word meaning ‘river rake’, a scaffold of beams built over a river to prevent logs from jamming; the river in question is the Spree. Folk etymology, however, has put a bear into the arms of the city, as if the name were derived from Bärlin, a diminutive of Bär ‘bear’. The German name is also found in the Hamburg area, where it may be derived from the village of the same name, but of uncertain origin, in Holstein. In some cases the Jewish name may be a patronymic from a pet form of the Yiddish personal name Ber (see Berenson), formed with the Slavic possessive suffix -in.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Berlin in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the surname Berlin has seen a slight decrease in popularity over the past decade. In 2000, Berlin ranked as the 4501st most common surname, whereas by 2010 it had slipped to 4729th place, representing a change of -5.07 percent. Despite this drop in ranking, the actual count of individuals with the surname Berlin increased from 7259 in 2000 to 7503 in 2010, which is a growth of 3.36 percent. However, when considered proportionally per 100,000 people, the presence of the surname Berlin decreased by -5.58 percent.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #4,501 | #4,729 | -5.07% |
| Count | 7,259 | 7,503 | 3.36% |
| Proportion per 100k | 2.69 | 2.54 | -5.58% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Berlin
In terms of ethnicity, the Decennial U.S. Census data reveals some shifts within the Berlin surname bearers. There was a significant increase in the percentage of individuals identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander and Hispanic between 2000 and 2010, with changes of 55.93 percent and 55.49 percent respectively. The count of those who identify as Black also rose by 26.37 percent. A modest increase of 3.13 percent was observed among those identifying as American Indian and Alaskan Native. Conversely, there was a minor decline in the percentage of those identifying as White and those identifying with two or more ethnicities, with changes of -1.39 percent and -17.24 percent respectively.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 94.42% | 93.11% | -1.39% |
| Hispanic | 1.64% | 2.55% | 55.49% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 1.28% | 1.32% | 3.13% |
| Black | 0.91% | 1.15% | 26.37% |
| Two or More Races | 1.16% | 0.96% | -17.24% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.59% | 0.92% | 55.93% |
Berlin 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 Berlin is Ashkenazi Jewish, which comprises 31.4% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are British & Irish (28.0%) and French & German (19.5%). Additional ancestries include Eastern European, Scandinavian, Italian, Spanish & Portuguese, and Filipino & Austronesian.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| Ashkenazi Jewish | 31.4% |
| British & Irish | 28.0% |
| French & German | 19.5% |
| Other | 21.0% |
Possible origins of the surname Berlin
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 Berlin have recent ancestry locations in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Glasgow City, United Kingdom | 63.40% |
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 63.40% |
| Merseyside, United Kingdom | 62.90% |
| Greater Manchester, United Kingdom | 62.90% |
| Tyne And Wear, United Kingdom | 62.50% |
What Berlin 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 Berlin is R-U152, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup R-U152 is descended from haplogroup R-M343. Other common haplogroups include E-M5021 and R-L48, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Ackerman, Martini, Hoskins, Weis, Rossi, Lawton, Hildebrand, Bradshaw, Mahler, Schiller.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Berlin surname are: K1a1b1a, H1, 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 Berlin 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.
"Berlin" Surname 37.3%
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.
"Berlin" Surname 34.9%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Berlin" Surname 16.8%
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.
"Berlin" Surname 15.5%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Berlin?
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 Berlin are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition