Gender Masculine
Pronounced Pron. bər-NAHRD(American English) BU-nəd(British English) BEHR-NAR(French) BEHR-nahrt(Dutch) BEHR-nart(Polish, Croatian, Czech)  [key·IPA]

Meaning & History

Derived from the Old German element bern "bear" combined with hart "hard, firm, brave, hardy". The Normans brought it to England, where it replaced the Old English cognate Beornheard. This was the name of several saints, including Saint Bernard of Menthon who built hospices in the Swiss Alps in the 10th century, and Saint Bernard of Clairvaux, a 12th-century theologian and Doctor of the Church. Other famous bearers include the Irish playwright and essayist George Bernard Shaw (1856-1950) and the British World War II field marshal Bernard Montgomery (1887-1976).

Related Names

VariantsBerahard, Berenhard, Bernhard(Germanic)
DiminutivesBarney, Bernie, Berny(English)
Feminine FormsBernadine(English) Bernadette, Bernardine(French) Berendina(Dutch) Bernarda(Croatian) Bernarda(Slovene)
Other Languages & CulturesBeñat(Basque) Bernat(Catalan) Bernhard, Bernt(Danish) Bent(Frisian) Bernhard, Benno, Bernd(German) Bernát(Hungarian) Berardo, Bernardo, Bernardino, Dino(Italian) Bernhard, Bernt(Norwegian) Bernuharduz(Old Germanic) Bernardo, Bernardino(Portuguese) Bernardo, Bernardino(Spanish) Bernhard, Bernt(Swedish)
Surname DescendantsBernard(Czech) Bernard(Dutch) Bernard(English) Bernard(French) Bernard(Slovene)

Popularity

People think this name is

classic   mature   formal   upper class   wholesome   strong   refined   strange   serious  

Name Days

Croatia: January 12
Croatia: March 12
Croatia: July 20
Croatia: August 20
Czechia: August 20
France: August 20
Poland: January 19
Poland: February 9
Poland: February 16
Poland: March 12
Poland: June 1
Poland: June 15
Poland: August 10
Poland: August 20
Poland: August 21
Poland: September 14
Poland: October 14
Poland: October 21
Slovakia: May 20

Images

Vision of St Bernard (of Clairvaux) by Fra Bartolommeo (1504)Vision of St Bernard (of Clairvaux) by Fra Bartolommeo (1504)

Categories

Sources & References

  1. Förstemann, Ernst. Altdeutsches Namenbuch. Bonn, 1900, page 269.
Entry updated December 7, 2022