Girl · #4,008 in 2026

Bernice

Name: Popularity of the name Bernice in U.S. births, 1880–2026
Creator: U.S. Social Security Administration
License: https://www.ssa.gov/foia/
Keywords: Bernice, baby name, popularity, U.S., SSA, rankings

Current Rank

#4,008

Peak Rank

#39 (1921)

Total Babies

182K

5-Yr Trend

-33%

1880

First Year

2026

Last Year

1921

Peak Year

#39

Peak Rank

182K

Total Count

147

Years Active

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. Its peak popularity came in 1921, when 6,190 Bernices were born — ranking #39 that year. As of 2026, Bernice ranks #4,008 for baby girls 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

Top 10

11-50

51-100

101-500

500+

No data

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.

Berniece
Burnous
Burnoose
Burnouse
Bernie
Burmese
Burnie
Burney
Berny
Berney
Breece
Benes

Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.

Frequently Asked Questions about Bernice

What does the name Bernice mean?

Bernice is a girl's name that has been used in U.S. records since 1880. Behind the Name doesn't list a specific etymology, but the name has remained in use across multiple decades.

How popular is Bernice in 2026?

In 2026, Bernice ranks #4,008 among girls' names in the U.S., with 36 babies given the name that year.

When was Bernice most popular?

Bernice reached its peak popularity in 1921, ranking #39 that year with 6,190 babies given the name.

In which U.S. states is Bernice most popular?

Bernice has historically been most popular in Wisconsin, Nevada, Utah. Rankings vary year to year, but these states show the strongest concentration of births named Bernice.

Is Bernice a unisex name?

In U.S. Social Security records, Bernice is primarily a girl's name. We don't have meaningful data for it as a boy's name.

What names go well with Bernice?

Names that share a similar style or popularity range with Bernice include June, Monica, Lorraine. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data.

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

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.