Bernice
A shortened form of the Greek Berenike, itself a Macedonian version of Pherenike, from pherein, to bring, and nike, victory. It appears in Acts.
Bernice in 2025
Bernice was given to 35 babies in the United States in 2025, making it the 7,131st most popular name of the year. That is roughly one in every 94,724 babies born.
The history of Bernice
Bernice reached its highest point in 1921, when 6,309 babies were given the name, ranking 76th that year. Its best-ever ranking was 73rd, in 1911.
Across the 146 years of records since 1880, 185,533 babies have been named Bernice. Half of them were born before 1926, which places the name's centre of gravity with the Greatest Generation.
Bernice by decade
| Decade | Babies named Bernice | Best rank |
|---|---|---|
| 1880s | 1,056 | 234 |
| 1890s | 4,172 | 131 |
| 1900s | 10,159 | 81 |
| 1910s | 41,026 | 73 |
| 1920s | 56,896 | 76 |
| 1930s | 30,554 | 106 |
| 1940s | 17,388 | 220 |
| 1950s | 11,044 | 376 |
| 1960s | 6,171 | 580 |
| 1970s | 2,587 | 918 |
| 1980s | 1,495 | 1,466 |
| 1990s | 1,260 | 1,935 |
| 2000s | 868 | 2,947 |
| 2010s | 611 | 4,394 |
| 2020s | 246 | 5,447 |
Where Bernice is heading
Bernice has fallen 39% over the past decade, from 57 babies in 2015 to 35 in 2025.
That is less than 5% of its 1921 peak — Bernice is now a rare name in the United States.
Names like Bernice
Names that rose and fell at the same time as Bernice.