Bernie
Bernie was given to 9 boys in 2025, #8,348 among boys’ names; 10,760 Americans have been recorded with it since 1880 (Social Security Administration, published May 2026).
An estimated 5,140 Americans named Bernie and born in the U.S. are alive in 2026 (48% of everyone recorded); the median is 65 years old and half are between 52 and 73.
Girls and boys together; gaps are years SSA did not record (fewer than 5 births).
Births of Bernie by year: SSA national baby-name file, 1880-2025, published May 8, 2026. SSA’s notes on the data.
What does Bernie mean?
Wiktionary, English section
Bernie is “a diminutive of the male given name Bernard, also used as a formal given name.”
Also “a diminutive of the female given names Bernice and Bernadette.”
(male): From Bernard + -ie.
(female): From Bernadette + -ie or Bernice + -ie.
/ˈbɝni/
Meaning: Wiktionary, English section, as of Sep 25, 2026 (CC BY‑SA 4.0).
How popular is Bernie?
#8,348 among boys’ names, 2025
Bernie fell from #7,120 in 2015 to #8,348 in 2025 among boys’ names; its share of boys born fell from 5.7 to 5.3 per million.
266 babies in 1960, the peak
Bernie peaked in 1960, when 266 babies were given it (231 boys, #522 among boys’ names). The 9 births of 2025 are 3% of that peak.
Births by sex.
| Year | Girls | Girls’ rank | Boys | Boys’ rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | under 5 | 9 | #8,348 | |
| 2024 | under 5 | 17 | #5,461 | |
| 2023 | under 5 | 9 | #8,338 | |
| 2022 | under 5 | 13 | #6,525 | |
| 2021 | under 5 | 18 | #5,132 | |
| 2020 | under 5 | 17 | #5,266 | |
| 2019 | under 5 | 6 | #10,959 | |
| 2018 | under 5 | 9 | #8,242 | |
| 2017 | under 5 | 9 | #8,230 | |
| 2016 | under 5 | 21 | #4,640 |
Every recorded year (145)
| Year | Girls | Girls’ rank | Boys | Boys’ rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | under 5 | 11 | #7,120 | |
| 2014 | under 5 | 6 | #10,869 | |
| 2013 | under 5 | 11 | #7,083 | |
| 2012 | under 5 | 9 | #8,226 | |
| 2011 | under 5 | 12 | #6,625 | |
| 2010 | under 5 | 19 | #4,860 | |
| 2009 | under 5 | 20 | #4,766 | |
| 2008 | under 5 | 21 | #4,553 | |
| 2007 | under 5 | 11 | #7,148 | |
| 2006 | under 5 | 25 | #3,898 | |
| 2005 | under 5 | 30 | #3,319 | |
| 2004 | under 5 | 26 | #3,540 | |
| 2003 | under 5 | 29 | #3,195 | |
| 2002 | under 5 | 21 | #3,920 | |
| 2001 | under 5 | 20 | #3,978 | |
| 2000 | under 5 | 21 | #3,775 | |
| 1999 | under 5 | 24 | #3,284 | |
| 1998 | under 5 | 26 | #3,022 | |
| 1997 | under 5 | 26 | #2,907 | |
| 1996 | under 5 | 23 | #3,112 | |
| 1995 | under 5 | 21 | #3,198 | |
| 1994 | under 5 | 28 | #2,619 | |
| 1993 | under 5 | 26 | #2,703 | |
| 1992 | under 5 | 33 | #2,252 | |
| 1991 | under 5 | 27 | #2,544 | |
| 1990 | under 5 | 33 | #2,170 | |
| 1989 | under 5 | 36 | #1,991 | |
| 1988 | under 5 | 25 | #2,370 | |
| 1987 | under 5 | 26 | #2,217 | |
| 1986 | under 5 | 33 | #1,838 | |
| 1985 | under 5 | 43 | #1,525 | |
| 1984 | under 5 | 36 | #1,632 | |
| 1983 | under 5 | 31 | #1,788 | |
| 1982 | under 5 | 28 | #1,933 | |
| 1981 | under 5 | 37 | #1,604 | |
| 1980 | under 5 | 45 | #1,412 | |
| 1979 | under 5 | 52 | #1,272 | |
| 1978 | under 5 | 53 | #1,230 | |
| 1977 | under 5 | 70 | #1,029 | |
| 1976 | under 5 | 53 | #1,179 | |
| 1975 | 8 | #6,545 | 60 | #1,084 |
| 1974 | under 5 | 57 | #1,091 | |
| 1973 | 5 | #8,538 | 73 | #943 |
| 1972 | 6 | #7,351 | 84 | #877 |
| 1971 | 9 | #5,582 | 74 | #947 |
| 1970 | under 5 | 87 | #861 | |
| 1969 | 6 | #6,690 | 90 | #812 |
| 1968 | 10 | #4,515 | 86 | #799 |
| 1967 | 10 | #4,325 | 100 | #735 |
| 1966 | 15 | #3,274 | 98 | #747 |
| 1965 | 12 | #3,757 | 119 | #681 |
| 1964 | 12 | #3,890 | 165 | #610 |
| 1963 | 19 | #2,872 | 160 | #614 |
| 1962 | 29 | #2,213 | 204 | #551 |
| 1961 | 30 | #2,152 | 215 | #542 |
| 1960 | 35 | #1,928 | 231 | #522 |
| 1959 | 37 | #1,822 | 183 | #581 |
| 1958 | 34 | #1,875 | 210 | #530 |
| 1957 | 51 | #1,492 | 175 | #581 |
| 1956 | 23 | #2,323 | 154 | #608 |
| 1955 | 25 | #2,158 | 133 | #644 |
| 1954 | 34 | #1,770 | 146 | #611 |
| 1953 | 29 | #1,872 | 130 | #626 |
| 1952 | 20 | #2,332 | 127 | #622 |
| 1951 | 29 | #1,806 | 120 | #645 |
| 1950 | 22 | #2,055 | 127 | #606 |
| 1949 | 21 | #2,142 | 134 | #579 |
| 1948 | 16 | #2,497 | 155 | #531 |
| 1947 | 27 | #1,863 | 176 | #509 |
| 1946 | 34 | #1,508 | 140 | #541 |
| 1945 | 30 | #1,483 | 128 | #527 |
| 1944 | 25 | #1,666 | 138 | #514 |
| 1943 | 13 | #2,568 | 142 | #529 |
| 1942 | 22 | #1,810 | 135 | #525 |
| 1941 | 18 | #1,958 | 146 | #486 |
| 1940 | 22 | #1,688 | 116 | #547 |
| 1939 | 20 | #1,744 | 119 | #524 |
| 1938 | 26 | #1,479 | 145 | #478 |
| 1937 | 27 | #1,419 | 144 | #469 |
| 1936 | 14 | #2,164 | 127 | #504 |
| 1935 | 33 | #1,246 | 135 | #490 |
| 1934 | 27 | #1,414 | 140 | #484 |
| 1933 | 19 | #1,787 | 128 | #495 |
| 1932 | 35 | #1,217 | 130 | #504 |
| 1931 | 24 | #1,555 | 113 | #550 |
| 1930 | 21 | #1,755 | 99 | #618 |
| 1929 | 19 | #1,893 | 90 | #650 |
| 1928 | 28 | #1,504 | 110 | #588 |
| 1927 | 23 | #1,773 | 89 | #685 |
| 1926 | 33 | #1,390 | 105 | #612 |
| 1925 | 32 | #1,447 | 101 | #630 |
| 1924 | 29 | #1,572 | 89 | #691 |
| 1923 | 29 | #1,527 | 99 | #646 |
| 1922 | 25 | #1,690 | 91 | #679 |
| 1921 | 26 | #1,679 | 89 | #688 |
| 1920 | 20 | #1,960 | 90 | #674 |
| 1919 | 18 | #1,995 | 100 | #603 |
| 1918 | 32 | #1,362 | 74 | #748 |
| 1917 | 17 | #2,005 | 79 | #675 |
| 1916 | 19 | #1,812 | 88 | #621 |
| 1915 | 23 | #1,526 | 75 | #671 |
| 1914 | 24 | #1,266 | 53 | #712 |
| 1913 | 22 | #1,178 | 43 | #696 |
| 1912 | 19 | #1,221 | 33 | #758 |
| 1911 | 11 | #1,463 | 27 | #586 |
| 1910 | 10 | #1,531 | 22 | #625 |
| 1909 | 8 | #1,624 | 14 | #761 |
| 1908 | 16 | #1,009 | 19 | #590 |
| 1907 | 6 | #1,857 | 21 | #512 |
| 1906 | 5 | #1,980 | 12 | #712 |
| 1905 | 9 | #1,311 | 18 | #549 |
| 1904 | under 5 | 13 | #648 | |
| 1903 | 7 | #1,453 | 9 | #788 |
| 1902 | under 5 | 17 | #522 | |
| 1901 | 5 | #1,709 | 12 | #603 |
| 1900 | 11 | #1,171 | 19 | #558 |
| 1899 | under 5 | 10 | #665 | |
| 1898 | under 5 | 5 | #1,139 | |
| 1897 | 8 | #1,178 | 8 | #794 |
| 1896 | under 5 | 5 | #1,119 | |
| 1895 | under 5 | 14 | #558 | |
| 1894 | under 5 | 13 | #568 | |
| 1893 | under 5 | 10 | #657 | |
| 1892 | 6 | #1,295 | 13 | #573 |
| 1891 | 5 | #1,354 | 8 | #708 |
| 1890 | 6 | #1,226 | 13 | #538 |
| 1889 | under 5 | 11 | #588 | |
| 1888 | under 5 | 13 | #555 | |
| 1887 | under 5 | 6 | #830 | |
| 1886 | under 5 | 8 | #702 | |
| 1885 | under 5 | 5 | #949 | |
| 1884 | under 5 | 6 | #861 | |
| 1883 | under 5 | 7 | #730 | |
| 1882 | under 5 | 11 | #579 | |
| 1880 | under 5 | 5 | #926 |
Ranks: girls’ names and boys’ names ranked separately in each year’s SSA file; “under 5” is a year SSA did not list the name for that sex.
Is Bernie a boy’s or a girl’s name?
Of the 10,760 Americans recorded as Bernie, 14% are girls and 86% boys. In 2025 it went to 9 boys; SSA lists no girls 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 Bernie: the SSA national file counts each sex separately.
How many people are named Bernie, and how old are they?
5,140 alive in 2026, estimated
That is 48% of the 10,760 Americans ever recorded as Bernie. The median Bernie alive today is 65 years old; half are between 52 and 73.
The 2020 Census counted 7,302 people named Bernie (1,009 women and girls, 6,293 men and boys). SSA’s births carried forward to Census day, April 1, 2020, predict 5,897 born in the U.S. The Census count is 24% above that prediction. Possible reasons: the Census counts people born abroad, whom SSA’s files leave out, and it records the name people give, which SSA may have recorded under another spelling or as part of a compound name.
Alive today, by age
Alive today, by generation
| Generation | Born | Alive |
|---|---|---|
| Silent Generation | 1928-1945 | 585 |
| Baby Boomers | 1946-1964 | 2,480 |
| Generation X | 1965-1980 | 1,120 |
| Millennials | 1981-1996 | 461 |
| Generation Z | 1997-2012 | 334 |
| Generation Alpha | 2013-2025 | 155 |
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 Bernie born?
The states with the most babies named Bernie are California, Texas and New York, with 37% of its births recorded by state since 1910.
| State | Since 1910 | Rank, boys | vs. national |
|---|---|---|---|
| California | 768 | not ranked | 1.1× |
| Texas | 505 | not ranked | 0.8× |
| New York | 397 | not ranked | 0.4× |
| Illinois | 290 | not ranked | 0.5× |
| Ohio | 242 | not ranked | 0.5× |
| North Carolina | 240 | not ranked | 0.8× |
| New Mexico | 239 | not ranked | 3.8× |
| Michigan | 205 | not ranked | 0.5× |
| Kentucky | 204 | not ranked | 0.9× |
| Missouri | 182 | not ranked | 0.7× |
Where Bernie is more common than its national share predicts
Relative to its national share, Bernie is most over-represented in New Mexico: since 1910 it was given 3.8 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 boys’ 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 Bernie 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 3 names spelled alike, given to 10,879 babies since 1880, Bernie is the most given (99% of them).
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 Bernie
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 Bernie and names like it
- Compare Bernie and BernyBirths, ranks, peak and the living estimate side by side.
- The most given names of the 1960sBernie peaked in 1960.
- California’s most given namesThe state where SSA recorded the most babies named Bernie since 1910.
- The top names of 1960The year the most babies were named Bernie.
- The names of the Baby BoomersMost people named Bernie alive today were born 1946-1964.
- Names starting with BMost given first.