Explore the Family Name Berner
The meaning of Berner
1. English (of Norman origin): from the Middle English personal name Berner, of Norman origin (Old French Bernier, from ancient Germanic Berner, from ber(n) ‘bear’ + hari ‘army’). 2. English: possibly an occupational name from Middle English berner, a derivative of Old English beornan ‘to burn’, denoting a limeburner or charcoal burner (compare German Kalkbrenner). Compare Ashburner; see also Brenner and Burner. It may also have denoted someone who baked bricks or distilled spirits, or who carried out any other manufacturing process involving burning. 3. English: occupational name from Middle English berner ‘keeper of the hounds’ (Old French bern(i)er, brenier, a derivative of bren, bran ‘bran’, on which the dogs were fed). Compare Brenner. 4. German: habitational name, in Silesia denoting someone from a place called Berna (of which there are two examples); in southern Germany and Switzerland denoting someone from the Swiss city of Berne. 5. German: from the ancient Germanic personal name Bernher meaning ‘lord of the army’. 6. North German: occupational name for a lime or charcoal burner (cognate with 2 above), from an agent derivative of Middle High German brennen ‘to burn’. Some characteristic forenames: German Kurt, Heinz, Lothar, Bernhard, Erwin, Gerhard, Helmut, Reimund, Wolf.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Berner in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the surname Berner saw a shift in its popularity between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, it ranked 6735, but fell slightly to rank 6949 by 2010, indicating a decrease of approximately 3.18%. Despite this drop in ranking, the number of people with the Berner surname increased from 4615 to 4826, representing a growth of 4.57%. However, calculated as a proportion per 100k, the prevalence of the surname decreased by around 4.09%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #6,735 | #6,949 | -3.18% |
| Count | 4,615 | 4,826 | 4.57% |
| Proportion per 100k | 1.71 | 1.64 | -4.09% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Berner
The ethnic identity associated with the Berner surname also experienced changes according to the information provided by the Decennial U.S. Census. The percentage of Berners identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander and American Indian and Alaskan Native rose by 16.67% and 15.00% respectively, while those reporting two or more races increased by 33.78%. The most significant surge was seen amongst those identifying as Hispanic, jumping by 68.18%. Meanwhile, those identifying as White made up the majority at 94.51% in 2010, although this represented a decrease from 96.01% in 2000. The proportion of Berners identifying as Black slightly declined by 8.54%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 96.01% | 94.51% | -1.56% |
| Hispanic | 1.76% | 2.96% | 68.18% |
| Two or More Races | 0.74% | 0.99% | 33.78% |
| Black | 0.82% | 0.75% | -8.54% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.48% | 0.56% | 16.67% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.2% | 0.23% | 15% |
Berner 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 Berner is French & German, which comprises 38.1% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are British & Irish (32.6%) and Ashkenazi Jewish (9.1%). Additional ancestries include Eastern European, Scandinavian, Italian, Spanish & Portuguese, and Greek & Balkan.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| French & German | 38.1% |
| British & Irish | 32.6% |
| Ashkenazi Jewish | 9.1% |
| Other | 20.3% |
Possible origins of the surname Berner
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 Berner have recent ancestry locations in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Greater Manchester, United Kingdom | 79.00% |
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 79.00% |
| Merseyside, United Kingdom | 78.20% |
| West Yorkshire, United Kingdom | 78.20% |
| Tyne And Wear, United Kingdom | 78.20% |
What Berner 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 Berner 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-Z58 and R-P311, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Mader, Fey, Bachmann, Sheaffer, Hinrichs, Wolter, Hageman, Gehring, Hermes, Theis.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Berner 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 Berner 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.
"Berner" Surname 29.2%
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.
"Berner" Surname 13.9%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Berner" Surname 10.7%
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.
"Berner" Surname 15.1%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Berner?
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 Berner are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition