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Berlie

♂ Boy

Pronounced BUR-lee /ˈbɜr.li/Low

Meaning: Berlie is an early-century spelling in the Burl and Burley family, from an English surname meaning 'dweller by the fortified clearing' and echoing burl, the knotted grain of wood. Southern American families often chose these plain, sturdy sounds as given names.Low

In 30 seconds: Berlie is a boy's name in the Burl and Burley family, an English surname meaning 'dweller by the clearing.' It appears in early United States records around the nineteen-twenties (said BUR-lee).

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Origin LowEnglish

MeaningBerlie is an early-century spelling in the Burl and Burley family, from an English surname meaning 'dweller by the fortified clearing' and echoing burl, the knotted grain of wood. Southern American families often chose these plain, sturdy sounds as given names.

U.S. rank (1947)#3770 ↘ Falling

1947 U.S. births5 boys (0.00% of U.S. boys)

Peak year1920

Total births (all-time)≈ 188

Popularity in the U.S. · SSA data

U.S. births per year (Social Security Administration, 1880–present). Pink marker = peak year.

SSA data updated May 2026. How we source & verify this data.

History & Origin

Berlie is an American spelling of Burley or Burl, from an English surname tied to a clearing or meadow and to the word burl for knotted wood. It flourished briefly in the rural South, where family and place names became first names with easy, phonetic spellings.

It was always uncommon, given to only about fifteen boys a year at its peak around 1920 and gone from records within a generation. A boy named Berlie then would be a great-grandfather today.

Did you know? Berlie belongs to a whole cluster of homespun early-century boys' names - Burl, Birl, Bearl - that spelled the same rustic sound half a dozen ways.

Overall data confidence 30%

References - Berlie — Burl/Burley family spelling; English surname; traced honestly.

Variations

BurlBirlBurleyBearl

Nicknames

Bert

Famous Bearers

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If you like Berlie…

Burl— the core name Berlie spells by sound

Birl— a sister spelling of the same rustic name

Burley— the fuller surname form

Bearl— another early-century spelling of the same sound

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Frequently Asked

What does the name Berlie mean?

In the Burl and Burley family, it is an English surname meaning 'dweller by the clearing,' and echoes burl, the knotted grain of wood.

How do you pronounce Berlie?

It is said BUR-lee /ˈbɜr.li/ - two syllables, stress on the first.

Is Berlie a boy or girl name?

Berlie is used as a boy's name.

How popular is Berlie?

It was always rare in the United States, given to only about fifteen boys a year at its peak in the nineteen-twenties.