Bernice
Girl name · #4067 in 2025 · Very rare
How old is the name Bernice? In official American birth records, Bernice has been tracked continuously since 1880, giving it 145 years of documented American history.
Bernice ranks #4067 among American girls' names as of 2025, with 35 newborns given the name that year. A decade ago it stood at #3001, so the name has been falling over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 51,429 girls born in 2025 was named Bernice.
The 145-year story
Bernice first appears in the Social Security records in 1880, when 59 girls received the name. Its peak came in 1921, when 6,190 girls were named Bernice — good for #39 that year. Today's parents encounter it as a name from their grandparents’ generation, which is precisely the vintage window from which names get revived. Following the curve matters more than today's snapshot: a name's position on its rise-peak-decline arc is the best predictor of how common it will feel in a kindergarten class five years from now.
Babies named Bernice per year. Source: Official national birth records.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Bernice against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Bernice in class?
On our rarity read — which blends how common Bernice is today with its five-year momentum — the name reads as "very rare". A high score means genuine rarity — your Bernice will likely be the only one in the room, with the occasional spelling-out as the price.
Where Bernice is most common
State-level data for Bernice is too sparse in 2025 to rank by rate — in most states its count falls below the SSA's per-state reporting threshold (counts under 5 are withheld).
Names like Bernice
Statistically, parents drawn to Bernice tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Clarice, Eunice, Loraine, Bertha, and Pauline.
ClariceEuniceLoraineBerthaPaulineSallieJohnnieHelene
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Bernice | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 35 | #4067 |
| 2024 | 39 | #3822 |
| 2023 | 36 | #4047 |
| 2022 | 42 | #3653 |
| 2021 | 52 | #3112 |
| 2020 | 42 | #3546 |
| 2019 | 54 | #3002 |
| 2018 | 64 | #2677 |
| 2017 | 71 | #2508 |
| 2016 | 53 | #3100 |
| 2015 | 57 | #3001 |
| 2014 | 66 | #2648 |
| 2013 | 71 | #2508 |
| 2012 | 47 | #3419 |
| 2011 | 62 | #2796 |
| 2010 | 66 | #2691 |
| 2009 | 80 | #2396 |
| 2008 | 85 | #2295 |
| 2007 | 80 | #2368 |
| 2006 | 81 | #2328 |
| 2005 | 84 | #2180 |
| 2004 | 86 | #2100 |
| 2003 | 82 | #2125 |
| 2002 | 88 | #1984 |
| 2001 | 105 | #1713 |
Frequently asked questions
How old is the name Bernice?
In official American birth records, the name Bernice first appeared in 1880 (over 145 years ago), when 59 newborn girls received the name. It has over a century of continuous American history.
Is Bernice a popular girl name?
Bernice ranked #4067 among girls in 2025 with 35 babies given the name — outside the top 500, making it an uncommon pick. Ten years earlier it ranked #3001.
When was the name Bernice most popular?
Bernice peaked in 1921, when 6,190 American girls received the name (ranked #39 that year). Since 1921 the name has declined from that high.
How rare is the name Bernice?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 51,429 newborn American girls was named Bernice. On our rarity scale (rarity blended with momentum) we classify it as "very rare".
Data source: Official American birth records, 1880–2025, national and state files. Counts reflect registered birth records for American families.