Berman
An English surname that often began as an occupational name for a man who looked after bears or, more broadly, a bear-man/bearward.
The #2,271 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 19,266 Americans shares it.
Etymology
This surname is usually explained from Middle English bear + man, referring to someone connected with bears—especially a bear-ward, bear-keeper, or man involved in bear-baiting or bear handling. Older sources also treat it as a shortened or simplified form of Berward or Bearward, another occupational surname with the same basic sense. The literal meaning is therefore 'bear man' or 'man in charge of bears.'
History
The name is recorded in medieval English sources, and 19th-century surname writers cite forms such as Bearman, Berward, and Berman side by side. Because bear-baiting and related animal shows were once common, occupational names of this kind could survive long after the original job disappeared. In some cases, especially outside England, Berman may also reflect other name traditions, so the English occupational explanation is not always exclusive.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
One old authority linked Berman with the now-rare office of the bear-ward, a job that sounds almost medieval for a reason.
From the historical record
“ample, V. Bickman. 1667. Married — John Berman and Susanna Wright: St. Jas. Clerkenwell, iii. 14a Philadelphia, 29, 5 ; London, o, 2.”
— A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames (alternate scan)Notable people named Berman
- Dianne Feinstein (1933–2023)
Sourced from Wikidata; linked to their Wikipedia page.