Pronunciation |
/bɜːrnɑːrd/(US) /bɛərnəd/, /bɛərnɑːrd/ (UK, the latter esp. Scotland) French: [bɛʁ.naʁ] Dutch: [ˈbɛrnɑrt] |
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Gender | Male |
Word/name | Germanic |
Meaning | "Strong" or "Brave" as a bear |
Region of origin | Europe |
Related names | Bernie, Barnard, Bearnárd, , Beñat, Bernhard, Bernhardt, , Berend |
The masculine given name Bernard and its variations are of West Germanic origin.
The meaning of the name is from a Germanic compound Bern-hard meaning "bear-hardy/brave/strong", or "hardy/brave/strong as a bear".Bern- is the old form of bear, from West Germanic *beran-.
The name was notably popular among Old Frisian speakers, where the most common spelling was Bernhard.
The following people and items share the name Bernard.