Bernard

German
"strong, brave as a bear"

Bernard Origin and Meaning

The name Bernard is a boy's name of German origin meaning "strong, brave as a bear".

Bernard is obviously a saint's name, but how did it get to the big, benevolent dog? The eleventh century monk, patron saint of mountain climbers, who lived in the Alps, was famed for setting up safe houses for pilgrims on their way to Rome over the treacherous St. Bernard Pass, and the canine breed, also used to rescue people in treacherous conditions, was named for him.

Over the years, though, the name has taken on a highly intellectual image, losing most of that old Alpine energy. There were lots of little Bernies in the early decades of the twentieth century; Bernard reached as high as Number 45 in 1921.

And the name does have some cultural cred, via playwright (George) Bernard Shaw, seminal art historian Bernard Berenson, and novelist Bernard Malamud. And let's not forget that 2016 and 2020 Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders's first name is Bernard as well.

# 940 in the US

Bernard Rank in US Top 1000

# 867 on Nameberry

Bernard Rank in Nameberry Top 1000

Popularity of the name Bernard

20 Names Similar to Bernard

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Famous People Named Bernard

  • Saint Bernard of Clairvaux
    French abbot
  • Bernard Herrmann
    American film composer
  • Bernard
    Germain,Étienne de La Ville,sur,Illon de Lacépède, French naturalist
  • (George) Bernard Shaw
    Irish playwright
  • Bernard Charles "Bernie" Ecclestone
    British business magnate
  • Bernard "Bernie" Sanders
    U.S. Senator from Vermont
  • Bernard Cribbins
    English actor
  • Bernard Fox
    Welsh actor
  • Bernard Freeman aka Bun B
    American rapper
  • Bernard Montgomery
    1st Viscount Montgomery of Alamein, British field marshal
  • Bernard Freyberg
    7th Governor,General of New Zealand
  • Bernard Tomic
    Australian tennis player
  • Bernard Cornwell
    English novelist
  • Bernard Pyne Grenfell
    English Egyptologist
  • Bernard Hill
    American actor
  • Bernard Pierce
    American football player
  • Bernard Pollard
    American football player
  • Bernard Scott
    American football player
  • Bernard Madoff
    American Ponzi schemer
  • Bernard Hampton
    entrepreneur
  • Bernard Ashley
    founder of Laura Ashley design
  • Bernard Moon O’Sullivan (b. 2018)
    son of actress Bridget Regan
  • Bernard 'Barney' Sumner
    English musician (New Order)
  • Bernard 'Berni' Flint
    English singer
  • Bernard 'Bernie' Calvert
    English bass player (The Hollies)

The name Bernard in Pop Culture

  • Bernard
    a mouse in Disney's "The Rescuers"
  • Bernard
    main character in the children's TV series "Bernard's Watch"
  • Bernard
    the head elf in "The Santa Clause" movies
  • Bernard Black
    character from British TV series "Black Books"
  • Bernard Bligh
    character in "Small Island"
  • Bernard "Barney" Fife
    character on "The Andy Griffith Show"
  • Bernard "Beans" Aranguren
    character on TV series "Even Stevens"
  • Bernard
    main character in short story "Last Shot" by Justine Avery
  • Bernard "Bernie" Schotz
    character on TV's "Bizaardvark"
  • Saint Bernard
    breed of large dog
  • Abbot Bernard
    a character in Brian Jacques' "Mariel of Redwall"

International Variations of the name Bernard

  • Bernhart
    German
  • Bernardino
    Spanish
  • Bernal
    Spanish
  • Bernardel
    Spanish
  • Bernhardt
    German
  • Berno
    Czech
  • Bernek
    Czech
  • Bernhard
    German
  • Bernardyn
    Polish
  • Bernat
    Catalan
  • Nardo
    Spanish
  • Bearnard
    Gaelic
  • Bernot
    French
  • Benek
    Polish
  • Berend
    German
  • Bernadino
    Italian
  • Bernt
    Scandinavian
  • Vernados
    Greek
  • Bernardo
    Spanish
  • Beñat
    Basque
  • Beno
    German
  • Berngards
    Russian
  • Bernardito
    Spanish
  • Bernardin
    French
  • Bernon
    French

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