Total births
9,225
Unisex name · since 1880
Bernie
Bernie has 9,225 recorded births since 1880 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 1960 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.
- #5454
- among boys today
- 9,225
- born since 1880
- 1950s
- peak decade
- 62%
- more common than other boys
9,225 babies have been named Bernie since 1880, making it today's #5454 unisex name.
Social Security Administration records show Bernie recorded 9,225 times among boys since 1880, holding rank #5454 nationally today, ahead of 62% of boys, peaking in the 1950s. This profile derives year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1880 to 2025.
- #5454 among boys today
- 9,225 born since 1880
- 1950s peak decade
- 62% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Bernie is currently the #5454 unisex name in America, more common than 62% of boys - 9,225 born since 1880, peaking in the 1950s.
- #5454
- among boys today
- 9,225
- born since 1880
- 1950s
- peak decade
- 62%
- more common than other boys
Bernie vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#5454
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 62% of names given to boys today.
1950s
Peak decade
16% of everyone ever named Bernie was born in this single decade.
1960
Single peak year
231 babies were named Bernie in 1960 - its busiest year on record.
How Bernie compares
9,225 Top 9% higher than 91% of 14,294 names currently given to boys
Based on all-time total births among currently-ranked boys 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
Bernie's all-time total is 25x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Bernie | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 9,225 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 231 | 23 | 22,252 |
Bernie's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Divide Bernie's SSA record in two at 1953 and the more recent half accounts for 46% of all births, the earlier half the remaining 54%, a genuinely balanced usage pattern. Its calmest year was 1880, with only 5 births recorded -- set against the 1960 peak of 231, that's the full swing in one name's fortunes.
Bernie at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
1960
Current rank
#5,454
Active since
1880
Bernie popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1880–2025
- Peak year (1960)
- 231
- Annual births at peak, across 146 years of records
Bernie popularity over time - girls
1,535 total births recorded since 1890 (Bernie as girls' name)
Bernie by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1950s was Bernie's strongest decade.
1,505 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 16% of all-time use.
Bernie births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 72
1880s
72 births
- 1890s 99
1890s
99 births
- 1900s 154
1900s
154 births
- 1910s 594
1910s
594 births
- 1920s
1920s
953 births
- 1930s
1930s
1,280 births
- 1940s
1940s
1,410 births
- 1950s
1950s
1,505 births
- 1960s
1960s
1,468 births
- 1970s
1970s
663 births
- 1980s 340
1980s
340 births
- 1990s 267
1990s
267 births
- 2000s 224
2000s
224 births
- 2010s 113
2010s
113 births
- 2020s 83
2020s
83 births
What this shows Peak: 1950s at 1,505 births (16% of all-time use).
How Bernie compares to similarly-sized names
Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 boys names closest to Bernie's total volume
Bernie vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Bernie by state
Where Bernie concentrates geographically, total births since 1880
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 754 | 8.2% |
| #2 | Texas | | 489 | 5.3% |
| #3 | New York | | 397 | 4.3% |
| #4 | Illinois | | 290 | 3.1% |
| #5 | Ohio | | 242 | 2.6% |
| #6 | North Carolina | | 240 | 2.6% |
| #7 | New Mexico | | 210 | 2.3% |
| #8 | Michigan | | 205 | 2.2% |
California share of Bernie's total US births 8.2%
Even split
754 of 9,225 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 36 reporting states.
Bernie appears in 36 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Bernie? ▼
Since 1880, Social Security records show 9,225 babies named Bernie. Today it holds rank #5454 among boys. Its busiest year on record was 1960, with 231 births.
When was Bernie most popular? ▼
Bernie was most popular in the 1950s decade with 1,505 total births. The single peak year was 1960.
Where is Bernie most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Bernie are California (754 births), Texas (489 births), New York (397 births).
Is Bernie a unisex name? ▼
Yes, Bernie is used for both boys and girls. As a boy's name it has 9,225 births, and as a girl's name it has 1,535 births.
How long has the name Bernie been used? ▼
The SSA has tracked Bernie since 1880 -- 146 years through the most recent 2025 data.
What names are similar to Bernie? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Bernard, Bert, Bernardo, Bertram, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Bernie's data
- Bernie's decade-level peak was the 1950s (1,505 total births); usage has since declined to 83 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- California records the most Bernies (754 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. California 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 Bernie
Nearby Names Like Bernie
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Bernie
Bernard Boy
#1318 200,087 births
Bert Boy
#8312 33,585 births
Bernardo Boy
#1342 11,175 births
Bertram Boy
#7766 7,955 births
Berry Boy
#7765 5,737 births
Compare Bernie side by side: Bernie vs Bernard Bernie vs Bert Bernie vs Bernardo
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Bernie
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. "Bernie: #5454 Unisex Name - 9,225 Births, Peak 1960." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/bernie. 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 Bernie 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.