Boy name · Germanic
Bernard
Name meaning, origin and popularity
: brave bearBernard is a boy's name that comes from Germanic and means "brave bear". It is used in English, French and German.
- Meaning
- Brave bear
- Origin
- Germanic
- Gender
- Boy
- US rank
- #1362 in 2025
Meaning and origin of Bernard
As a boy's name, Bernard comes from Germanic and means "brave bear". It is used in English, French and German.
In French, say bair-NAR. Respellings are a guide; accents vary by region.
Bernard is also a surname: the 908th most common in the 2020 US Census, held by 37,873 people. See the most common last names.
Its meaning puts Bernard on our names that mean strong list.
Meanings come from published name dictionaries, led by Behind the Name. How we research names
Bernard on Nomezo lists
What our editors wrote about Bernard on 7 lists.
“A natural for a big, drooly Alpine rescue breed”
From Boy dog names, human names for boy dogs
“Brave bear; Germanic. Old-world strength”
From Boy middle names, strong boy middle names
“Brave bear; Germanic. Abbot of Clairvaux. Say bair-NAR”
From French boy names, french saints' names for boys
“Solid and dependable”
From Porch goose names, vintage and classic porch goose names
“Brave bear; Germanic bern, bear, and hard, brave”
From Names that mean strong, names that mean brave
“Brave bear; Germanic. Bernie for short”
From Old man names, old boy names from the 1900s to 1920s
“Brave bear; Germanic, the saint behind the Alpine rescue dog”
From Strong boy names, boy names that mean brave or bold
How popular is Bernard?
- US rank in 2025
- #1,362
- 137 babies, 80 per million boys
- Best rank
- #45 in 1919
- Most babies: 4,505 in 1924
- Babies since 1880
- At least 200,087
- Years with under 5 are not listed
| 1880s | 1,475 per million |
|---|---|
| 1890s | 2,029 per million |
| 1900s | 2,428 per million |
| 1910s | 3,839 per million |
| 1920s | 3,848 per million |
| 1930s | 2,891 per million |
| 1940s | 1,776 per million |
| 1950s | 1,280 per million |
| 1960s | 907 per million |
| 1970s | 551 per million |
| 1980s | 353 per million |
| 1990s | 214 per million |
| 2000s | 113 per million |
| 2010s | 86 per million |
| 2020s | 82 per million |
| Year | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #1,169 | #1,171 | #1,142 | #1,251 | #1,250 | #1,308 | #1,290 | #1,473 | #1,318 | #1,362 |
Source: US Social Security Administration baby-name data, 1880 to 2025, as published in 2026. Each spelling is counted separately, a name given to fewer than 5 babies of one sex in a year is left out, and few people born before 1937 have records, which is why the chart shows babies per million rather than raw counts.
Other forms of Bernard
The same name in other languages and spellings, with the same meaning and origin.
- BeñatBrave bear (Germanic, boy)
- BernardinoBrave bear (Germanic, boy)
- BernardoBrave bear (Germanic, boy)
- BerndBrave bear (Germanic, boy)
- BernhardBrave bear (Germanic, boy)
Names spelled like Bernard
One or two letters apart, but from a different root: they look alike without sharing a meaning.
- BernabéSon of encouragement (Aramaic, boy)
Names with a similar meaning
- AmeliaPossibly vigorous, brave (Germanic, girl)
- LeonardoBrave lion (Germanic, boy)
- RicardaBrave ruler (Germanic, girl)
- AndreaManly, brave (Greek, girl)
- AndreasManly, brave (Greek, boy)
- BahadurBrave, valiant (Turkic, boy)
- BernadetteBrave bear (Germanic, girl)
- GerardBrave spear (Germanic, boy)
- GerhardBrave spear (Germanic, boy)
- RichardBrave ruler (Germanic, boy)
Middle names for Bernard
Picked from our middle-name lists with a different first letter and a shorter length, so the full name flows.
More boy names from Germanic
- HugoHeart, mind (Germanic, boy)
- LiamShort for William, will helmet (Germanic, boy)
- RobertBright fame (Germanic, boy)
- LambertBright land (Germanic, boy)
- AlaricRuler of all (Germanic, boy)
- AlbertNoble and bright (Germanic, boy)
- AlbertoNoble and bright (Germanic, boy)
- ArmandoArmy man (Germanic, boy)
- ArnoEagle (Germanic, boy)
- ArnoldEagle power (Germanic, boy)
Bernard: common questions
What does the name Bernard mean?
Bernard comes from Germanic and means "brave bear".
Is Bernard a boy or girl name?
Bernard is mainly a boy's name.
Where does the name Bernard come from?
Bernard comes from Germanic and means "brave bear". Today it is used in English, French and German.
How popular is the name Bernard?
Bernard ranked #1,362 in the US in 2025, with 137 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.
What are other forms of Bernard?
Forms of Bernard with the same meaning and origin include Beñat (Spanish), Bernardino (Spanish), Bernardo (Italian), Bernd (German) and Bernhard (German).
What middle names go with Bernard?
Middle names that flow well with Bernard include David, Eli, Ethan, John and Lane. A different first letter and a contrasting length usually sound best.