The Behrens surname

In the 2010 U.S. Census, 10,524 people carried this name — #3,398 among all U.S. surnames, about 1 in every 28,000 people counted. That is up 4% from 10,159 in 2000.

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What the name means

The meaning of the Behrens surname

As a surname in the United Kingdom

Harrison classes it as a German name: ‘Bear’.

Harrison gives Behrens as the genitive of Behrend.

From Henry Harrison, Surnames of the United Kingdom: A Concise Etymological Dictionary, vol. II (London: The Morland Press, 1918), p. 318 · public domain.

In Argentina’s national register

At least 588 people named Behrens live in Argentina.

RENAPER only publishes a name in a province when more than ten people there share it, so the real number is higher. Most of them live in Buenos Aires Province.

Where it concentrates, on the map

Where they live today

Buenos Aires Province 391
Chaco 49
Chubut 49
Tierra del Fuego 25
City of Buenos Aires 21
Santa Cruz 17
Santa Fe 15
Entre Ríos 11

RENAPER (National Registry of Persons, Argentina), surnames of residents by province, December 2021 — CC BY 4.0.

In Switzerland’s population statistics

234 people named Behrens live in Switzerland.

They live in 18 of Switzerland’s 26 cantons, most of all in Zurich.

Where it concentrates, on the map

Where they live today

Zurich 65
Aargau 25
Vaud 21
Basel-Landschaft 15
Lucerne 15
St. Gallen 14
Basel-Stadt 11
Thurgau 11

Swiss Federal Statistical Office (FSO), «Surnames of the permanent resident population by canton», 2025, opendata.swiss/en/dataset/nachnamen-der-standigen-wohnbevolkerung-nach-kanton3 · names with fewer than 3 bearers in a canton are not published.

In France’s civil register

France’s register of deaths holds 49 people named Behrens.

21 of them were born outside France. Those born in France came from 9 départements, most often Paris.

Too few records to say where it concentrates region by region — these are plain counts, not shares.

Where they were born

Born outside France 21
Paris 9
Bas-Rhin 4
Côtes-d’Armor 4
Bouches-du-Rhône 4
Aisne 3
Ille-et-Vilaine 1
Moselle 1
Sarthe 1

Fichier des personnes décédées, INSEE — Licence Ouverte 2.0 · deaths recorded in France since 1970, by place of birth.

In Poland’s population register

45 people named Behrens have a registered home in Poland.

Of the 103 in Poland’s national register, these are the ones with a permanent address on file. They live in 9 of Poland’s 16 voivodeships, most of all in Silesian.

Too few records to say where it concentrates region by region — these are plain counts, not shares.

Where they live today

Silesian 9
West Pomeranian 9
Greater Poland 8
Masovian 7
Lower Silesian 3
Lubusz 3
Opole 2
Pomeranian 2

PESEL register, Ministry of Digital Affairs of Poland (dane.gov.pl) — CC0 · living people by voivodeship of permanent residence, 20 January 2026.

In the Nordic population registers

163 people named Behrens is counted in Sweden.

Sweden’s figure is from 31 December 2022, the last count Statistics Sweden published.

Counted, by country

Sweden (2022) 163

Own calculations based on data from Statistics Sweden (SCB), surnames with at least two bearers, 31 December 2022 — CC BY 4.0 (names with 20 or more bearers shown).

In print

Behrens in American newspapers,
1917.

Newspaper page from The Wheatland World carrying the name Behrens
The Wheatland World 1917-08-17
Newspaper page from Estancia News-herald carrying the name Behrens
Estancia News-herald 1917-10-04
Newspaper page from Estancia News-herald carrying the name Behrens
Estancia News-herald 1917-08-23

Chronicling America, Library of Congress — digitised newspapers in the public domain · 47,428 pages in all carry the name.

In print

Behrens in Australian newspapers,
1850s–1970s.

2,799 articles name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Behrens. The most, 1,156, date from the 1920s. Weighed against how much of each state’s press from the same decades has been digitised, it stands out most in Queensland, at 1.9 times its expected share.

Articles, by state

Queensland 1,044
South Australia 498
Victoria 484
New South Wales 323
Tasmania 286
Western Australia 152
ACT (Canberra) 8
Northern Territory 2

Trove, National Library of Australia (trove.nla.gov.au) · articles in its digitised newspapers that name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Behrens.

Who carried it

People named Behrens,
with a public archive behind them.

  • Hugo Behrens d. 1874 · engineer
  • Louis Behrens d. 1932 · firefighter
  • Dietrich Behrens d. 1968 · jurist
  • Albert Behrens d. 1716 · pastor
  • Joachim Hartwig Behrens d. 1756 · pastor
  • Georg Behrens d. 1916 · soldier

Wikidata (CC0) · 9 lives in all are documented under this name.

In the public record

People named Behrens,
in the records of 10 countries.

Soldiers, farmers, migrants and neighbours who carried the name and left a trace in public archives. Everyone shown here died long ago or was born more than a century ago.

United States4,453 records

4,453 records of the Behrens name in the United States
  • Passenger arrivals in the United States, 1820–1912 2,303
  • New York City birth, marriage and death certificates 1,297
  • Other U.S. records 853
  1. Names engraved on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Washington, D.C.
    Example: U.S. war memorial
    War record Thomas Martin Behrens

    Born 1943; from What Cheer, Iowa. U.S. Army, infantryman; killed in action 1968 in Quang Ngai, South Vietnam. Buried at Highland Cemetery, Newton, Iowa.

    U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain); U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0)
  2. A United States Selective Service registration card, 1942
    Example: U.S. registration card, 1942
    Military record Evelyn S. Behrens

    Born 1905 in Illinois. Enlisted 1944 in the Women's Army Corps at Minneapolis, Minnesota; secondary school teacher. U.S. Army veteran of World War II; died 1986, buried at Fort Snelling National Cemetery, Minnesota.

    U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain); U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0)
  3. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Adelheid Behrens

    Arrived at New York in 1850 aboard the Columbus from Bremen, aged 24; servant. From Brochhusen, Germany; bound for New York.

    U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted)

Showing 3 of 4,453 records for Behrens in the United States.

Counts: U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted) · NYC Department of Records & Information Services, Historical Vital Records (NYC Open Data) · U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain) · U.S. National Archives, Flexoline Index Data File (public domain) · U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0) · New York State Department of Health, Genealogical Research Death Index · Sacramento County, Historic Burials (CC BY 4.0) · U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Vietnam Veterans Memorial, photo by U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Michael J. Carden, 2009 (public domain); U.S. Selective Service registration card, 1942 (public domain); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain).

Germany3,005 records

3,005 records of the Behrens name in Germany
  • Germany's First World War casualty lists, 1914–1919 3,001
  • German emigration and citizenship files 3
  • German estate files 1
  1. A page of the German First World War casualty lists, 18 April 1918
    Example: German casualty list, 1918
    Casualty list Karl Behrens

    Born 1897; from Schönbeck, Steinburg. Reported missing in the Prussian casualty list of 2 December 1918 (Infantry Regiment No. 423).

    Verein für Computergenealogie e.V. (2026). Deutsche Verlustlisten des Ersten Weltkriegs – Datensammlung (Version 1.0), DOI 10.5281/zenodo.18330751 (CC0)
  2. The first page of an emigration file from Gündlingen, Baden, 1883
    Example: German emigration file, 1883
    Emigration record Hermann Behrens

    Emigrated to Vienna in 1875.

    Deutsche Digitale Bibliothek / Landesarchiv Baden-Württemberg (CC0)
  3. A petition to the probate court of St. Louis, 1848
    Example: probate petition, 1848
    Probate record Hermann Wilhelm Behrens

    Estate settled at Schwartau in 1886; factory worker.

    Deutsche Digitale Bibliothek / Landesarchiv Schleswig-Holstein (CC0)

Showing 3 of 3,005 records for Behrens in Germany.

Counts: Verein für Computergenealogie e.V. (2026). Deutsche Verlustlisten des Ersten Weltkriegs – Datensammlung (Version 1.0), DOI 10.5281/zenodo.18330751 (CC0) · Deutsche Digitale Bibliothek (CC0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Deutsche Verlustlisten, Prussian list 1116, 18 April 1918 (scan via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0); Emigration file, Gündlingen, 1883, Landesarchiv Baden-Württemberg, Staatsarchiv Freiburg B 694/1 Nr. 1389 (CC BY 4.0); Petition to the probate court, St. Louis, 1848, Missouri Historical Society (public domain).

Netherlands1,065 records

1,065 records of the Behrens name in the Netherlands
  • Dutch population registers 565
  • Dutch civil registers (births, marriages, deaths) 495
  • Dutch church registers before 1811 5
  1. A marriage entry in the civil register of Tilburg, 1911
    Example: marriage register, 1911
    Marriage record Johan Behrens

    Married in 1928 in Amsterdam; butcher. Died 1971 in Harderwijk.

    Open Archives, Noord-Hollands Archief (CC BY 4.0); Open Archives, Gelders Archief (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A marriage entry in the civil register of Tilburg, 1911
    Example: marriage register, 1911
    Marriage record Anna Ursula Behrens

    Married in 1942 in Naarden; office clerk. Died 1960 in Bussum, aged 41.

    Open Archives, Noord-Hollands Archief (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A marriage entry in the civil register of Tilburg, 1911
    Example: marriage register, 1911
    Marriage record Johan Bernhard Behrens

    Married in 1908 in Zutphen; commercial traveller. Died 1959 in Zutphen, aged 75.

    Open Archives, Gelders Archief (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 1,065 records for Behrens in the Netherlands.

Counts: Open Archives (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Marriage register, Tilburg, 1911, Regionaal Archief Tilburg (public domain).

Australia208 records

208 records of the Behrens name in Australia
  • Victoria passenger lists, 1839–1923 89
  • Tasmanian Names Index 53
  • Other Australian records 66
  1. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Friedr Behrens

    Arrived in Victoria in 1863 aboard the Linda, aged 25; German.

    Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A petition to the probate court of St. Louis, 1848
    Example: probate petition, 1848
    Probate record Johanna M. L. Behrens

    Gentlewoman of Leitchville, Victoria; died 1949.

    Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Johann Behrens

    Arrived in Tasmania in 1855 aboard the Wilhelmsburg from Hamburg.

    Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 208 records for Behrens in Australia.

Counts: Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0) · Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0) · Queensland State Archives (CC BY 4.0) · Museums of History NSW – State Archives Collection (CC BY) · National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain); Petition to the probate court, St. Louis, 1848, Missouri Historical Society (public domain).

Norway27 records

27 records of the Behrens name in Norway Norway's 1910 census
  1. A page of the 1910 United States census, Milwaukee
    Example: U.S. census, 1910
    Census record Einar Behrens

    Census of 1910: C. Sundtsgate, Bergen; agent, born 1863 in Bergen.

    Arkivverket, Digitalarkivet, 1910 census (CC BY 3.0 NO)
  2. A page of the 1910 United States census, Milwaukee
    Example: U.S. census, 1910
    Census record Charlotte Behrens

    Census of 1910: Kalfarveien, Bergen; born 1889 in Bergen.

    Arkivverket, Digitalarkivet, 1910 census (CC BY 3.0 NO)
  3. A page of the 1910 United States census, Milwaukee
    Example: U.S. census, 1910
    Census record Johan David Behrens

    Census of 1910: Engelsmindegate, Stavanger; born 1910 in Bergen.

    Arkivverket, Digitalarkivet, 1910 census (CC BY 3.0 NO)

Showing 3 of 27 records for Behrens in Norway.

Counts: Arkivverket, Digitalarkivet, 1910 census (CC BY 3.0 NO). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: U.S. census of 1910, Milwaukee (public domain).

France23 records

23 records of the Behrens name in France France's national death register, 1970–2001
  1. A page of the death register of Nice, 1930
    Example: French death register, 1930
    Death record Marie Behrens

    Born 1895 in Paris; died 1984 in Fontainebleau (Seine-et-Marne).

    Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte)
  2. A page of the death register of Nice, 1930
    Example: French death register, 1930
    Death record Walter Behrens

    Born 1925 in Germany; died 1997 in Argentan (Orne).

    Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte)
  3. A page of the death register of Nice, 1930
    Example: French death register, 1930
    Death record Guy Leo Edmond Behrens

    Born 1936 in Paris; died 1988 in Orsay (Essonne).

    Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte)

Showing 3 of 23 records for Behrens in France.

Counts: Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Death register of Nice, 1930, Archives départementales des Alpes-Maritimes (public domain).

Canada8 records

8 records of the Behrens name in Canada
  • City of Calgary cemetery records 2
  • Mountain View Cemetery, Vancouver 2
  • Other Canadian records 4
  1. Fairview Lawn Cemetery in Halifax, Nova Scotia
    Example: Canadian cemetery
    Burial record Barbara Behrens

    Buried in 1983 at Queen's Park Cemetery, Calgary, Alberta, aged 77.

    City of Calgary. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – City of Calgary.
  2. Fairview Lawn Cemetery in Halifax, Nova Scotia
    Example: Canadian cemetery
    Burial record Talita Behrens

    Died 1963; buried at Brookside Cemetery, Winnipeg, Manitoba.

    City of Winnipeg. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Winnipeg.

Showing 2 of 8 records for Behrens in Canada.

Counts: City of Calgary. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – City of Calgary. · City of Vancouver. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Vancouver. · City of Winnipeg. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Winnipeg. · Veterans Affairs Canada. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Canada. · City of Niagara Falls. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Niagara Falls. Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Fairview Lawn Cemetery, Halifax, photo by Edgar El (CC BY 3.0).

New Zealand7 records

7 records of the Behrens name in New Zealand Christchurch City cemetery records
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Gwendoline Behrens

    Died 1985, aged 85; buried at Ruru Lawn, Christchurch, Canterbury.

    Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Benjamin Behrens

    Died 1916, aged 70; buried at Linwood Cemetery, Christchurch, Canterbury.

    Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 2 of 7 records for Behrens in New Zealand.

Counts: Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Burial register of Newtown, Montgomeryshire, 1858, National Library of Wales (CC0).

United Kingdom1 record

1 record of the Behrens name in the United Kingdom War Office casualty lists, 1917–1919, among the dead
  1. A First World War roll of honour of the staff of C. & E. Morton Ltd
    Example: roll of honour, 1914–1919
    War record R. Behrens

    Is.. Welsh Regiment. Listed among the dead in the War Office casualty list of 1919.

    National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain)

Counts: National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: C. & E. Morton Ltd roll of honour, 1914–1919, photo by Adrian S Pye via Geograph (CC BY-SA 2.0).

Belgium1 record

1 record of the Behrens name in Belgium Belgian civil registers (births, marriages, deaths)
  1. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Death record Maria Behrens

    Died 1926 in Gent.

    Open Archives, Archief Gent (CC BY 4.0)

Counts: Open Archives (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Civil register, Berlin, 1880, Landesarchiv Berlin (CC0).

Nearby in the index

Surnames next to Behrens.

When the index is not enough

This page says where Behrens is.
A volume says what happened to it.

Every page in the index is free and stays free. The Heritage Volume is the long form: the full paper trail, the arms, the crossing — bound, and yours.

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