Bernice
Bernice is a name with multiple cultural origins: English, Biblical, Biblical Latin.
- English
- Biblical
- Biblical Latin
Meaning & Origin of Bernice
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Bernice is a name with multiple cultural origins: English, Biblical, Biblical Latin.
Origin data from Behind the Name .
Cultural Origins (via Behind the Name)
- English
- Biblical
- Biblical Latin
The Story of Bernice
Bernice first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby girl name in 1880, with 59 babies given the name that year. The name hit its high-water mark in 1921: 6,190 births, good for #39 nationwide. The 1920s were its strongest decade, accounting for roughly 31% of all recorded Bernices. In the latest 2026 data it stands at #4,008 among baby girl names with 36 births, falling sharply (-33%). In total, more than 182K Bernices have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1880s through the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Variants & Related Forms of Bernice
Foreign forms, alternate spellings, and nicknames that share roots with Bernice. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
Names that sound like Bernice
Phonetically similar names — useful when Bernice is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.
Frequently Asked Questions about Bernice
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About the name Bernice
Bernice is a girl baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1880 and has accumulated 182K births in the dataset. Bernice's peak popularity came in 1921 when it ranked #39. Use the chart and map above to compare Bernice's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 1921 →
- Names of the 1920s →
- Names starting with "B" →
- Browse all girl names →
- Top names of 2026 →
Data sources
- Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. Social Security Administration . Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships.
- Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — Behind the Name (used under their public API terms).
- Meaning prose and editorial summary — Wikipedia article extracts, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 .
- Predicted nationality distribution — Nationalize.io .
- Phonetically similar names — Datamuse .
Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides.