Berns History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Germany
Scotland

Early Origins of the Berns family

The surname Berns was first found in Berne, Switzerland, where the family is considered to have made a great early contribution to the feudal society which became the backbone of early development of Europe. Founded by Duke Berthold V of Zaehringen (in the Black Forest) in 1191, Berne became a Free City in 1218. Against the invading armies of Rudolph of Habsburg, Berne successfully defended itself and joined the Swiss Confederation in 1353. Berne retains its mediaeval character to this day, and has been the capital of Switzerland since 1848. The majority of its inhabitants speak German and are Protestants, a religious heritage left over from the time of the Reformation. The name comes from the German "Baeren" (bears) and a bear still appears on the city's coat of arms. Other branches bearing this name stemmed from the town Berna in Lusatia. The first individual bearers of this name to be mentioned in ancient chronicles include Bernerus miles de Wil, who was born in Zuerich in 1259.

Early History of the Berns family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Berns research. Another 320 words (23 lines of text) covering the years 1371, 1400, 1590, 1636, 1683 and 1778 are included under the topic Early Berns History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Berns Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Bern, Berne, Bernn, Bernne, Berns, Bernes, Bernert, Baern, Boern and many more.

Early Notables of the Berns family

Another 49 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Berns Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Berns Ranking

In the United States, the name Berns is the 15,580^th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 1

Berns migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Berns Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Mrs. Anna Maria Berns, (nee Kring), aged 26, who landed in Galveston, Texas in 1845 aboard the ship "Garonne" 2
Joh. Christian Berns, aged 7, who arrived in Galveston, Texas in 1845 aboard the ship "Garonne" 2
Elizabeth Berns, aged 4, who landed in Galveston, Texas in 1845 aboard the ship "Garonne" 2
Johann H G Berns, aged 40, who landed in Galveston, Texas in 1845 aboard the ship "Garonne" 2
Leonard Berns, aged 23, who arrived in Texas in 1845 aboard the ship "Garonne" 2
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Berns (post 1700) +

Michael W. Berns (1942-2022), American biologist, Professor of Surgery and Cell Biology at the University of California, founder of the first Laser Microbeam Program (LAMP)
Walter Berns (1919-2015), American constitutional law and political philosophy professor emeritus at Georgetown University

Citations +

"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)