Total births
182,130
Girls' name · since 1880
Bernice
Since 1880, U.S. Social Security records show 182,130 babies named Bernice, peaking in 1921. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.
- #3823
- among girls today
- 182,130
- born since 1880
- 1920s
- peak decade
- 78%
- more common than other girls
182,130 babies have been named Bernice since 1880, making it today's #3823 girls' name.
Social Security Administration records show Bernice recorded 182,130 times among girls since 1880, holding rank #3823 nationally today, ahead of 78% of girls, peaking in the 1920s. This profile derives year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1880 to 2025.
- #3823 among girls today
- 182,130 born since 1880
- 1920s peak decade
- 78% more common than other girls
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Bernice is currently the #3823 girls' name in America, more common than 78% of girls - 182,130 born since 1880, peaking in the 1920s.
- #3823
- among girls today
- 182,130
- born since 1880
- 1920s
- peak decade
- 78%
- more common than other girls
Bernice vs. every other girls name in current SSA rankings
#3823
of 17,726 girls in use
More common than 78% of names given to girls today.
1920s
Peak decade
31% of everyone ever named Bernice was born in this single decade.
1921
Single peak year
6,190 babies were named Bernice in 1921 - its busiest year on record.
How Bernice compares
182,130 Top 1% higher than 99% of 17,726 names currently given to girls
Based on all-time total births among currently-ranked girls names. Names with fewer occurrences are grouped into wider buckets on the right.
Source U.S. Social Security Administration, national baby name data
How the numbers stack up
Bernice's all-time total is 477x the median girls name, and Olivia still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Bernice | Median girls name (Emerly) | #1 girls name (Olivia) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 182,130 | 382 | 567,345 |
| Peak-year births | 6,190 | 48 | 19,840 |
Bernice's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Divide Bernice's SSA record in two at 1953 and the more recent half accounts for 11% of all births, the earlier half the remaining 89%, consistent with a name more common in the past than in recent years. Its calmest year was 2025, with only 35 births recorded -- set against the 1921 peak of 6,190, that's the full swing in one name's fortunes.
Bernice at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
1921
Current rank
#3,823
Active since
1880
Bernice popularity over time - girls
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1880–2025
- Peak year (1921)
- 6,190
- Annual births at peak, across 146 years of records
Bernice popularity over time - boys
3,403 total births recorded since 1883 (Bernice as boys' name)
Bernice by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1920s was Bernice's strongest decade.
55,842 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 31% of all-time use.
Bernice births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 1,037
1880s
1,037 births
- 1890s 4,094
1890s
4,094 births
- 1900s 10,010
1900s
10,010 births
- 1910s
1910s
40,346 births
- 1920s
1920s
55,842 births
- 1930s
1930s
29,905 births
- 1940s 17,032
1940s
17,032 births
- 1950s 10,829
1950s
10,829 births
- 1960s 6,047
1960s
6,047 births
- 1970s 2,525
1970s
2,525 births
- 1980s 1,489
1980s
1,489 births
- 1990s 1,249
1990s
1,249 births
- 2000s 868
2000s
868 births
- 2010s 611
2010s
611 births
- 2020s 246
2020s
246 births
What this shows Peak: 1920s at 55,842 births (31% of all-time use).
How Bernice compares to similarly-sized names
Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 girls names closest to Bernice's total volume
Bernice vs 15 similarly-sized girls names
Bernice by state
Where Bernice concentrates geographically, total births since 1880
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | New York | | 12,610 | 6.9% |
| #2 | Illinois | | 12,027 | 6.6% |
| #3 | Pennsylvania | | 9,864 | 5.4% |
| #4 | Texas | | 7,946 | 4.4% |
| #5 | Georgia | | 6,711 | 3.7% |
| #6 | California | | 6,281 | 3.4% |
| #7 | Michigan | | 6,240 | 3.4% |
| #8 | Alabama | | 6,157 | 3.4% |
New York share of Bernice's total US births 6.9%
Even split
12,610 of 182,130 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 51 reporting states.
Bernice appears in 51 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Bernice? ▼
182,130 babies have been named Bernice since 1880. It currently ranks #3823 among girls. The peak year was 1921 with 6,190 births.
When was Bernice most popular? ▼
Bernice was most popular in the 1920s decade with 55,842 total births. The single peak year was 1921.
Where is Bernice most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Bernice are New York (12,610 births), Illinois (12,027 births), Pennsylvania (9,864 births).
How long has the name Bernice been used? ▼
Bernice has been recorded in Social Security data since 1880, spanning 146 years of data through 2025.
What names are similar to Bernice? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Bertha, Bernadette, Bernadine, Bertie, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for girls.
What to do with Bernice's data
- Bernice's decade-level peak was the 1920s (55,842 total births); usage has since declined to 246 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- New York records the most Bernices (12,610 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. New York names
- Weighing it against an alternative? Put two names side by side. Compare names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Bernice
Nearby Names Like Bernice
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Bernice
Bertha Girl
#4669 207,870 births
Bernadette Girl
#1242 54,973 births
Bernadine Girl
#15327 21,933 births
Bertie Girl
#7594 13,736 births
Beryl Girl
#11128 10,130 births
Compare Bernice side by side: Bernice vs Bertha Bernice vs Bernadette Bernice vs Bernadine
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Bernice
Cornelia #3822
22,076 births · Peak 1921
Johnnie #3824
49,196 births · Peak 1928
Lehlani #3821
296 births · Peak 2023
Augustine #3825
3,842 births · Peak 1925
Baela #3820
115 births · Peak 2025
Lizette #3826
12,122 births · Peak 1999
Anova #3819
239 births · Peak 2025
Twila #3827
11,922 births · Peak 1960
Data Sources
Data as of June 2026. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA).
According to the Social Security Administration, this profile draws directly from the agency's public-use baby-name files (updated June 2026). See our methodology for the full extraction, aggregation, and privacy-suppression rules.
Primary: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names from Social Security Card Applications, National Data, 1880–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Bernice: #3823 Girls' Name - 182,130 Births, Peak 1921." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/bernice. Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Name Almanac is rendered directly from the Social Security Administration's public baby-name files, no number is typed in by an editor. This profile for Bernice draws directly on SSA national and state-level files, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.