boy's name
Bernard
ber-NAR
- Origin Germanic
- Gender Boy
- Syllables 2
- Letters 7
- Popularity Uncommon
- Births on record 676,296
Northern Ireland
#378
2024 births
Bernard is a boy's name from Germanic elements meaning brave as a bear. Our data marks it stable, but the market that holds most of its history has nearly abandoned it — it ranks 6119th in France against 791st in England and Wales.
- Bernard is a name of Germanic origin.
- Peaked in France in 1947, when 19,825 babies were given the name.
- Its usage has held steady over the past decade in France.
- Today about 1 in 117,911 babies in France is given this name.
- First appears in birth records in 1900.
- 2 syllables, with the stress on syllable 2.
Bernard over time
Births per decade in France, 1900s to 2020s. The striped bar is the 2020s, still in progress — it covers 2020 to 2025, not a full ten years.
Show the numbers
| Decade | Births |
|---|---|
| 1900s | 6,560 |
| 1910s | 10,590 |
| 1920s | 38,160 |
| 1930s | 81,900 |
| 1940s | 139,980 |
| 1950s | 138,460 |
| 1960s | 44,090 |
| 1970s | 6,915 |
| 1980s | 1,725 |
| 1990s | 585 |
| 2000s | 190 |
| 2010s | 95 |
| 2020s (to 2025) | 50 |
What Bernard means
Bernard means brave as a bear, or strong as a bear. The Germanic original joins the word for a bear to one meaning hard, firm or brave, so both halves reinforce the same idea.
Where Bernard comes from
Bernard comes from the Germanic Bernhard — bern, a bear, joined to hard, brave or hardy. Bear names were common in early Germanic naming, on the principle that a child named for a dangerous animal might take on its qualities. Two saints carried it far: Bernard of Clairvaux, the twelfth-century abbot who drove the Cistercian reform and preached the Second Crusade, and Bernard of Menthon, patron of alpinists, after whom the Alpine pass and then the rescue dogs are named. So the St Bernard is a dog named for a pass named for a man named for a bear.
Bernard in use
Bernard peaked in France in 1947, when 19,825 babies were registered, and our data marks it stable. The distribution is the striking part: it now ranks 378th in Northern Ireland, 553rd in Ireland, 791st in England and Wales on 42 births, 1364th in the United States and 6119th in France on 5 births. France holds the bulk of its 675,577 lifetime births and has very nearly stopped using it, while Britain and Ireland keep it alive at a modest level.
How popular is Bernard?
In 2025, Bernard was given to 5 babies in France. It is used consistently but remains uncommon.
Where Bernard is used
French counts are rounded to the nearest five and nothing below five is published, so these figures show the shape of the name's use rather than an exact tally. Data & sources.
Names that peaked alongside Bernard
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents who like Bernard also like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Bernard over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
2 nicknames for Bernard
Each one is a name in its own right — the figure underneath is how it is doing today, so you can see which short forms are rising and which have faded.
Bernard in other languages
The same name as it is spelled elsewhere — not shortenings, and not different names that merely sound alike. Each one has its own record here.
Sibling names for Bernard
Names from the same era that won't rhyme or share an initial with Bernard — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common questions about Bernard
What does the name Bernard mean?
Brave as a bear — the Germanic bern, bear, joined to hard, brave.
Is the St Bernard dog named after the name?
Indirectly. The dogs are named for the Alpine pass, which is named for Bernard of Menthon.
Is Bernard a French name?
The root is Germanic, but France holds most of its recorded history — though it now ranks only 6119th there.
How popular is Bernard?
791st in England and Wales and 378th in Northern Ireland, well ahead of its French position.
Is Bernard a girl's or a boy's name?
Bernard is given almost entirely to boys in birth records.
How many syllables are in Bernard?
Bernard has 2 syllables.
What are the nicknames for Bernard?
Bernard is usually shortened to Bernie and Bern.
Is Bernard a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Bernard currently ranks #378 in France. Its usage has held steady over the past decade. Everything else — how it sounds with your surname, who it reminds you of — is yours.