Bernard
 Bernard of Clairvaux (Saint Bernard) | |
| Pronunciation | mainly UK: /ˈbɜːrnərd/ or /ˈbɜːrnəd/ mainly US: /bərˈnɑːrd/[1] French: [bɛʁ.naʁ] Dutch: [ˈbɛrnɑrt] |
|---|---|
| Gender | masculine |
| Origin | |
| Language | West Germanic |
| Meaning | Brave as a bear |
| Region of origin | medieval Europe |
| Other names | |
| Related names | Bernie, Barnard, Bernardas, Bearnárd, Bernardo, Beñat, Bernhard, Bernhardt, Bernd, Bernt, Bernadetta, Bernadette, Berend, Pearu, Pääru |
Bernard (Bernhard) is a French and West Germanic masculine given name. It has West Germanic origin and is also a surname.[2]
The name is attested from at least the 9th century. West Germanic Bernhard is composed from the two elements bern "bear" and hard "brave, hardy".[3] Its native Old English cognate was Beornheard, which was replaced or merged with the French form Bernard that was brought to England after the Norman Conquest. The name Bernhard was notably popular among Old Frisian speakers.[4] Its wider use was popularized due to Saint Bernhard of Clairvaux (canonized in 1174). In Ireland, the name was an anglicized form of Brian.
Geographical distribution
[edit]Bernard is the second most common surname in France.[5]
As of 2014, 42.2% of all known bearers of the surname Bernard were residents of France (frequency 1:392), 12.5% of the United States (1:7,203), 7.0% of Haiti (1:382), 6.6% of Tanzania (1:1,961), 4.8% of Canada (1:1,896), 3.6% of Nigeria (1:12,221), 2.7% of Burundi (1:894), 1.9% of Belgium (1:1,500), 1.6% of Rwanda (1:1,745), 1.2% of Germany (1:16,397), 1.2% of Jamaica (1:595), 1.1% of Ghana (1:6,179), 1.0% of England (1:13,691) and 1.0% of Madagascar (1:6,098).
In France, the frequency of the surname was higher than national average (1:392) in the following regions:[6]
- Collectivity of Saint Martin (1:60)
- Saint Barthélemy (1:189)
- Bourgogne-Franche-Comté (1:260)
- Nouvelle-Aquitaine (1:283)
- Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes (1:296)
- Brittany (1:333)
- Pays de la Loire (1:336)
- Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur (1:348)
- Hauts-de-France (1:391)
List of people with the name
[edit]The following people and items share the name Bernard:
Given name
[edit]Catholic saints
[edit]Medieval
[edit]- Bernard, son of Charles Martel (c. 720 – 787), Abbot of St. Quentin
- Bernard (bishop of Carlisle) (died 1214), 13th-century Catholic bishop
- Bernard (bishop of Gaeta) (died 1047)
- Bernard (bishop of St Davids) (1115–1148)
- Bernard (son of Charles the Fat) (died 891 or 892), Duke of Alemannia
- Bernard Gui (c. 1260 – 1331), 14th century inquisitor
- Bernard of Calvo (Bernat Calbó), 13th-century saint and Bishop of Vich
- Bernard of Carinola (died 1109), 12th-century saint and Bishop of Carinola
- Bernard of Cluny, 12th-century Benedictine monk
- Bernard of Kilwinning (died c. 1331), Scottish abbot and chancellor
- Bernard of Quintavalle (died 1241), companion of St. Francis of Assisi
- Bernard of Verdun, author of the Tractatus super totam astrologiam
Modern
[edit]- Bernard (footballer) (Bernard Anício Caldeira Duarte), Brazilian footballer
- Bernard Aluwihare (1902–1961), Sri Lankan politician
- Bernard Alvarez, NASCAR racing driver
- Bernard Anício Caldeira Duarte, known as "Bernard", Brazilian footballer
- Bernard Balleret (born 1954), Monegasque tennis player
- Bernard Baruch (1870–1965), American financier and political adviser
- Bernard Berrian (born 1980), American football player
- Bernard Blandre (born 1948), French sociologist
- Bernard Blaut (1940–2007), Polish football player
- Bernard Bober (born 1950), Slovak Catholic Prelate,