Bernice
Bernice was given to 35 girls in 2025, #4,081 among girls’ names; 185,533 Americans have been recorded with it since 1880 (Social Security Administration, published May 2026).
An estimated 37,400 Americans named Bernice and born in the U.S. are alive in 2026 (20% of everyone recorded); the median is 74 years old and half are between 62 and 84.
Girls and boys together; gaps are years SSA did not record (fewer than 5 births).
Births of Bernice by year: SSA national baby-name file, 1880-2025, published May 8, 2026. SSA’s notes on the data.
What does Bernice mean?
Wiktionary, English section
Bernice is “a female given name from Ancient Greek.”
Biblical form of Berenice, from Ancient Greek Βερενίκη (Bereníkē).
Meaning: Wiktionary, English section, as of Sep 25, 2026 (CC BY‑SA 4.0).
How popular is Bernice?
#4,081 among girls’ names, 2025
Bernice fell from #3,004 in 2015 to #4,081 in 2025 among girls’ names; its share of girls born fell from 31.9 to 21.8 per million.
6,309 babies in 1921, the peak
Bernice peaked in 1921, when 6,309 babies were given it (6,190 girls, #39 among girls’ names). The 35 births of 2025 are under 1% of that peak.
Births by sex.
| Year | Births | Rank | Per 1,000 girls |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 35 | #4,081 | 0.02 |
| 2024 | 39 | #3,832 | 0.02 |
| 2023 | 36 | #4,058 | 0.02 |
| 2022 | 42 | #3,656 | 0.03 |
| 2021 | 52 | #3,117 | 0.03 |
| 2020 | 42 | #3,553 | 0.03 |
| 2019 | 54 | #3,009 | 0.03 |
| 2018 | 64 | #2,688 | 0.04 |
| 2017 | 71 | #2,517 | 0.04 |
| 2016 | 53 | #3,108 | 0.03 |
Every recorded year (146)
| Year | Births | Rank | Per 1,000 girls |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 57 | #3,004 | 0.03 |
| 2014 | 66 | #2,656 | 0.04 |
| 2013 | 71 | #2,512 | 0.04 |
| 2012 | 47 | #3,425 | 0.03 |
| 2011 | 62 | #2,800 | 0.04 |
| 2010 | 66 | #2,700 | 0.04 |
| 2009 | 80 | #2,402 | 0.04 |
| 2008 | 85 | #2,298 | 0.04 |
| 2007 | 80 | #2,372 | 0.04 |
| 2006 | 81 | #2,330 | 0.04 |
| 2005 | 84 | #2,184 | 0.05 |
| 2004 | 86 | #2,099 | 0.05 |
| 2003 | 82 | #2,123 | 0.04 |
| 2002 | 88 | #1,985 | 0.05 |
| 2001 | 105 | #1,713 | 0.06 |
| 2000 | 97 | #1,787 | 0.05 |
| 1999 | 122 | #1,429 | 0.07 |
| 1998 | 101 | #1,607 | 0.06 |
| 1997 | 111 | #1,474 | 0.06 |
| 1996 | 116 | #1,422 | 0.07 |
| 1995 | 109 | #1,463 | 0.06 |
| 1994 | 137 | #1,249 | 0.08 |
| 1993 | 126 | #1,324 | 0.07 |
| 1992 | 138 | #1,252 | 0.07 |
| 1991 | 143 | #1,202 | 0.08 |
| 1990 | 146 | #1,172 | 0.08 |
| 1989 | 144 | #1,142 | 0.08 |
| 1988 | 140 | #1,109 | 0.08 |
| 1987 | 132 | #1,128 | 0.08 |
| 1986 | 107 | #1,260 | 0.06 |
| 1985 | 146 | #1,031 | 0.08 |
| 1984 | 157 | #936 | 0.09 |
| 1983 | 143 | #1,000 | 0.09 |
| 1982 | 174 | #884 | 0.10 |
| 1981 | 169 | #891 | 0.10 |
| 1980 | 177 | #868 | 0.11 |
| 1979 | 165 | #903 | 0.10 |
| 1978 | 184 | #811 | 0.12 |
| 1977 | 182 | #824 | 0.12 |
| 1976 | 255 | #613 | 0.17 |
| 1975 | 222 | #674 | 0.15 |
| 1974 | 262 | #601 | 0.18 |
| 1973 | 265 | #592 | 0.18 |
| 1972 | 289 | #569 | 0.19 |
| 1971 | 326 | #553 | 0.20 |
| 1970 | 375 | #518 | 0.21 |
| 1969 | 385 | #495 | 0.23 |
| 1968 | 420 | #469 | 0.26 |
| 1967 | 457 | #441 | 0.28 |
| 1966 | 470 | #433 | 0.28 |
| 1965 | 565 | #389 | 0.32 |
| 1964 | 651 | #373 | 0.34 |
| 1963 | 702 | #359 | 0.36 |
| 1962 | 761 | #342 | 0.39 |
| 1961 | 764 | #344 | 0.38 |
| 1960 | 872 | #319 | 0.43 |
| 1959 | 852 | #319 | 0.42 |
| 1958 | 889 | #301 | 0.44 |
| 1957 | 982 | #288 | 0.48 |
| 1956 | 1,032 | #266 | 0.51 |
| 1955 | 1,045 | #256 | 0.53 |
| 1954 | 1,075 | #249 | 0.55 |
| 1953 | 1,156 | #237 | 0.61 |
| 1952 | 1,212 | #227 | 0.65 |
| 1951 | 1,286 | #213 | 0.71 |
| 1950 | 1,300 | #206 | 0.76 |
| 1949 | 1,380 | #198 | 0.81 |
| 1948 | 1,489 | #185 | 0.88 |
| 1947 | 1,688 | #172 | 1.0 |
| 1946 | 1,468 | #179 | 0.93 |
| 1945 | 1,477 | #157 | 1.1 |
| 1944 | 1,657 | #149 | 1.2 |
| 1943 | 1,890 | #143 | 1.4 |
| 1942 | 1,962 | #137 | 1.5 |
| 1941 | 1,934 | #133 | 1.6 |
| 1940 | 2,087 | #121 | 1.8 |
| 1939 | 2,123 | #116 | 1.9 |
| 1938 | 2,290 | #112 | 2.1 |
| 1937 | 2,384 | #104 | 2.2 |
| 1936 | 2,540 | #95 | 2.4 |
| 1935 | 2,777 | #90 | 2.6 |
| 1934 | 2,980 | #82 | 2.9 |
| 1933 | 3,009 | #83 | 3.0 |
| 1932 | 3,542 | #71 | 3.3 |
| 1931 | 3,821 | #63 | 3.6 |
| 1930 | 4,439 | #58 | 3.9 |
| 1929 | 4,551 | #55 | 4.1 |
| 1928 | 4,943 | #53 | 4.3 |
| 1927 | 5,305 | #49 | 4.4 |
| 1926 | 5,443 | #45 | 4.6 |
| 1925 | 5,728 | #46 | 4.7 |
| 1924 | 6,033 | #47 | 4.8 |
| 1923 | 5,809 | #43 | 4.8 |
| 1922 | 5,912 | #41 | 4.9 |
| 1921 | 6,190 | #39 | 5.0 |
| 1920 | 5,928 | #40 | 4.9 |
| 1919 | 5,793 | #42 | 5.1 |
| 1918 | 5,892 | #41 | 5.1 |
| 1917 | 5,546 | #42 | 5.1 |
| 1916 | 5,183 | #42 | 5.0 |
| 1915 | 4,937 | #42 | 5.0 |
| 1914 | 3,730 | #43 | 4.9 |
| 1913 | 3,036 | #45 | 4.9 |
| 1912 | 2,593 | #51 | 4.6 |
| 1911 | 1,915 | #51 | 4.6 |
| 1910 | 1,721 | #58 | 4.3 |
| 1909 | 1,337 | #62 | 3.9 |
| 1908 | 1,363 | #61 | 4.1 |
| 1907 | 1,185 | #65 | 3.7 |
| 1906 | 1,107 | #66 | 3.7 |
| 1905 | 1,032 | #74 | 3.5 |
| 1904 | 962 | #75 | 3.5 |
| 1903 | 868 | #77 | 3.3 |
| 1902 | 794 | #81 | 3.0 |
| 1901 | 660 | #86 | 2.8 |
| 1900 | 702 | #96 | 2.3 |
| 1899 | 515 | #103 | 2.2 |
| 1898 | 619 | #96 | 2.4 |
| 1897 | 519 | #103 | 2.2 |
| 1896 | 489 | #104 | 2.1 |
| 1895 | 447 | #109 | 1.9 |
| 1894 | 389 | #121 | 1.7 |
| 1893 | 340 | #125 | 1.6 |
| 1892 | 299 | #137 | 1.4 |
| 1891 | 248 | #142 | 1.3 |
| 1890 | 229 | #155 | 1.2 |
| 1889 | 206 | #154 | 1.2 |
| 1888 | 157 | #177 | 0.88 |
| 1887 | 127 | #178 | 0.87 |
| 1886 | 135 | #173 | 0.93 |
| 1885 | 96 | #193 | 0.72 |
| 1884 | 83 | #208 | 0.64 |
| 1883 | 69 | #210 | 0.61 |
| 1882 | 57 | #229 | 0.53 |
| 1881 | 48 | #222 | 0.52 |
| 1880 | 59 | #201 | 0.65 |
Ranks and shares: girls’ names in each year’s SSA file; share of all girls SSA recorded that year.
Is Bernice a boy’s or a girl’s name?
Of the 185,533 Americans recorded as Bernice, 98% are girls and 2% boys. In 2025 it went to 35 girls; SSA lists no boys with it that year (fewer than 5, or none).
Years with fewer than 20 babies given the name are left blank.
Girls and boys named Bernice: the SSA national file counts each sex separately.
How many people are named Bernice, and how old are they?
37,400 alive in 2026, estimated
That is 20% of the 185,533 Americans ever recorded as Bernice. The median Bernice alive today is 74 years old; half are between 62 and 84.
The 2020 Census counted 48,083 people named Bernice (47,594 women and girls, 489 men and boys). SSA’s births carried forward to Census day, April 1, 2020, predict 51,532 born in the U.S. The Census count is 7% below that prediction.
Alive today, by age
Alive today, by generation
| Generation | Born | Alive |
|---|---|---|
| Silent Generation | 1928-1945 | 12,100 |
| Baby Boomers | 1946-1964 | 15,800 |
| Generation X | 1965-1980 | 4,700 |
| Millennials | 1981-1996 | 2,180 |
| Generation Z | 1997-2012 | 1,360 |
| Generation Alpha | 2013-2025 | 678 |
An estimate, not a count. SSA’s files count people born in the United States who received a Social Security number, so anyone born abroad is not in them; before 1937 most people got a number as adults, and their survival is counted from that age.
Living estimate: SSA births carried forward with the survival rates in SSA’s cohort life tables (2024 Trustees Report) for each birth year and sex. How the estimate is made. Count: Census Bureau, first names in the 2020 Census (released April 14, 2026; names reported 100 or more times, with the Bureau’s disclosure-avoidance adjustment).
Where are babies named Bernice born?
The states with the most babies named Bernice are New York, Illinois and Pennsylvania, with 21% of its births recorded by state since 1910.
| State | Since 1910 | Rank, girls | vs. national |
|---|---|---|---|
| New York | 12,610 | not ranked | 0.8× |
| Illinois | 12,027 | not ranked | 1.3× |
| Pennsylvania | 9,864 | not ranked | 0.7× |
| Texas | 8,182 | not ranked | 0.9× |
| Georgia | 6,891 | not ranked | 1.3× |
| Alabama | 6,307 | not ranked | 1.3× |
| California | 6,281 | not ranked | 0.9× |
| Michigan | 6,240 | not ranked | 0.9× |
| Wisconsin | 6,136 | not ranked | 1.5× |
| Ohio | 6,128 | not ranked | 0.7× |
Where Bernice is more common than its national share predicts
Relative to its national share, Bernice is most over-represented in Mississippi: since 1910 it was given 1.6 times as often there as its national share each year would predict.
States: SSA state file, 1910-2025, published May 8, 2026; births count girls and boys together, and the rank is among girls’ names in the state in 2025. The file leaves out any state and year with fewer than 5 babies of the name, so small states are undercounted; each ratio compares the state’s births of Bernice with the births its national share predicts year by year, for states with at least 100 births of the name.
Names spelled alike
Of these 7 names spelled alike, given to 210,049 babies since 1880, Bernice is the most given (88% of them). In 2025 it was given to 35 of their 63 babies (56%), again the most given.
Spelled alike: names in the SSA national file with the same pattern of letters and sounds and at most two letters apart, and Wiktionary’s listed forms; births since 1880 and in 2025, and each name’s peak year, from the SSA national file, published May 8, 2026. Some are separate names, not spellings of one.
Names that rose and fell in the same decades as Bernice
Names whose births rose and fell across the same decades, measured on each decade’s share of births.
Similar histories: each decade’s share of births, from the SSA national file, 1880-2025, published May 8, 2026. SSA’s notes on the data.
More about Bernice and names like it
- Compare Bernice and BernieceBirths, ranks, peak and the living estimate side by side.
- The most given names of the 1920sBernice peaked in 1921.
- New York’s most given namesThe state where SSA recorded the most babies named Bernice since 1910.
- Ancient Greek namesWiktionary’s origin for Bernice: every such name, by how often it is given.
- The top names of 1921The year the most babies were named Bernice.
- The names of the Baby BoomersMost people named Bernice alive today were born 1946-1964.
- Names starting with BMost given first.