The Bernal surname
In the 2010 U.S. Census, 39,693 people carried this name — #873 among all U.S. surnames, about 1 in every 7,430 people counted. That is up 35% from 29,418 in 2000.
In Argentina’s national register
At least 15,834 people named Bernal 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 mapWhere they live today
RENAPER (National Registry of Persons, Argentina), surnames of residents by province, December 2021 — CC BY 4.0.
In France’s civil register
France’s register of deaths holds 461 people named Bernal.
197 of them were born outside France. Those born in France came from 44 départements, most often Gard.
Where it concentrates, on the mapWhere they were born
Fichier des personnes décédées, INSEE — Licence Ouverte 2.0 · deaths recorded in France since 1970, by place of birth.
In Switzerland’s population statistics
171 people named Bernal live in Switzerland.
They live in 12 of Switzerland’s 26 cantons, most of all in Zurich.
Where it concentrates, on the mapWhere they live today
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 Poland’s population register
168 people named Bernal have a registered home in Poland.
Of the 203 in Poland’s national register, these are the ones with a permanent address on file. They live in 8 of Poland’s 16 voivodeships, most of all in Lesser Poland.
Where it concentrates, on the mapWhere they live today
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
32 people named Bernal is counted in Sweden.
Sweden’s figure is from 31 December 2022, the last count Statistics Sweden published.
Counted, by country
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
Bernal in American newspapers,
1859–1959.
Chronicling America, Library of Congress — digitised newspapers in the public domain · 16,168 pages in all carry the name.
Who carried it
People named Bernal,
with a public archive behind them.
-
Juan Bernal 1549–1601 -
Bernardo Maria di Gesù 1624–1696 · Catholic priest -
Ralph Bernal 1784–1854 · actor -
Amalia Carvia Bernal 1861–1949 · writer -
Emilia Bernal 1884–1964 · writer
Wikidata and Wikimedia Commons (CC0) · 189 lives in all are documented under this name.
Nearby in the index
Surnames next to Bernal.
- Bermejo 2,330 · U.S. census
- Bermudez 26,691 · U.S. census
- Berna 1,017 · U.S. census
- Bernabe 4,915 · U.S. census
- Bernabei 404 · U.S. census
- Bernadin 356 · U.S. census
- Bernard 38,512 · U.S. census
- Bernardi 3,050 · U.S. census
- Bernardin 591 · U.S. census
- Bernardini 1,375 · U.S. census
- Bernardino 3,111 · U.S. census
- Bernardo 7,003 · U.S. census
When the index is not enough
This page says where Bernal 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.