Explore the Family Name Bernfeld

The meaning of Bernfeld

Jewish (Ashkenazic): artificial name from the Yiddish personal name Ber (‘bear’) + German Feld ‘open country’. Some characteristic forenames: Jewish Chaim, Avrum, Chanie, Gersh, Hyman, Mordche, Moshe, Shimon. German Hans, Siegfried, Siegmund.

Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.

How common is the last name Bernfeld in the United States?

Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the surname Bernfeld has seen an increase in popularity between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, it was ranked 66,878 among all surnames, but by 2010 it had risen to rank 55,962, showing a notable increase of 16.32%. The total count of individuals with this surname also increased from 276 to 366 during this period, a surge of 32.61%. The proportion per 100k also saw an increase of 20%, moving from 0.1 in 2000 to 0.12 in 2010.

20002010Change
Rank#66,878#55,96216.32%
Count27636632.61%
Proportion per 100k0.10.1220%

Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Bernfeld

In terms of ethnicity, the Decennial U.S. Census data shows that the majority of individuals with the Bernfeld surname identify as white, with percentages of 96.74% in 2000 and a slightly lower 96.45% in 2010. The data for 2010 however revealed a new ethnic identity within the Bernfeld population – Hispanic, which represented 3.01%. On the other hand, those identifying with two or more races were recorded at 2.17% in 2000, but this number dropped to zero by 2010. No individuals with the Bernfeld surname identified as Asian/Pacific Islander, Black, or American Indian and Alaskan Native during these years.

20002010Change
White96.74%96.45%-0.3%
Hispanic0%3.01%0%
Asian/Pacific Islander0%0%0%
Two or More Races2.17%0%0%
Black0%0%0%
American Indian and Alaskan Native0%0%0%