West Germanic
The West Germanic languages constitute the largest of the three branches of the Germanic languages, Germanic family of languages (the others being the North Germanic languages, North Germanic and the extinct East Germanic languages, East Germ ...
masculine given name. It has West Germanic origin and is also a surname.
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". 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 Norman Conquest (or the Conquest) was the 11th-century invasion and occupation of England by an army made up of thousands of Normans, Norman, French people, French, Flemish people, Flemish, and Bretons, Breton troops, all led by the Du ...
. The name ''Bernhard'' was notably popular among
Old Frisian
Old Frisian was a West Germanic language spoken between the late 13th century and the end of 16th century. It is the common ancestor of all the modern Frisian languages except for the North Frisian language#Insular North Frisian, Insular North ...
speakers. Its wider use was popularized due to Saint Bernhard of Clairvaux (canonized in 1174). In Ireland, the name was an anglicized form of
Brian
Brian (sometimes spelled Bryan (given name), Bryan in English) is a male given name of Irish language, Irish and Breton language, Breton origin, as well as a surname of Occitan language, Occitan origin. It is common in the English-speaking world. ...
.
Geographical distribution
Bernard is the second most common surname in France.
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
Haiti, officially the Republic of Haiti, is a country on the island of Hispaniola in the Caribbean Sea, east of Cuba and Jamaica, and south of the Bahamas. It occupies the western three-eighths of the island, which it shares with the Dominican ...
(1:382), 6.6% of
Tanzania
Tanzania, officially the United Republic of Tanzania, is a country in East Africa within the African Great Lakes region. It is bordered by Uganda to the northwest; Kenya to the northeast; the Indian Ocean to the east; Mozambique and Malawi to t ...
(1:1,961), 4.8% of Canada (1:1,896), 3.6% of Nigeria (1:12,221), 2.7% of
Burundi
Burundi, officially the Republic of Burundi, is a landlocked country in East Africa. It is located in the Great Rift Valley at the junction between the African Great Lakes region and Southeast Africa, with a population of over 14 million peop ...
(1:894), 1.9% of Belgium (1:1,500), 1.6% of
Rwanda
Rwanda, officially the Republic of Rwanda, is a landlocked country in the Great Rift Valley of East Africa, where the African Great Lakes region and Southeast Africa converge. Located a few degrees south of the Equator, Rwanda is bordered by ...
(1:1,745), 1.2% of Germany (1:16,397), 1.2% of Jamaica (1:595), 1.1% of
Ghana
Ghana, officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country in West Africa. It is situated along the Gulf of Guinea and the Atlantic Ocean to the south, and shares borders with Côte d’Ivoire to the west, Burkina Faso to the north, and Togo to t ...
(1:6,179), 1.0% of England (1:13,691) and 1.0% of
Madagascar
Madagascar, officially the Republic of Madagascar, is an island country that includes the island of Madagascar and numerous smaller peripheral islands. Lying off the southeastern coast of Africa, it is the world's List of islands by area, f ...
(1:6,098).
In France, the frequency of the surname was higher than national average (1:392) in the following regions:Bernard surname distribution /ref>
* 1.
Collectivity of Saint Martin
The Collectivity of Saint Martin (), commonly known as simply Saint Martin (, ), is an overseas collectivity of France in the West Indies in the Caribbean, on the northern half of the Saint Martin (island), island of Saint Martin, as well as so ...
(1:60)
* 2.
Saint Barthélemy
Saint Barthélemy, officially the Collectivité territoriale de Saint-Barthélemy, also known as St. Barts (English) or St. Barth (French), is an overseas collectivity of France in the Caribbean. The island lies about southeast of the island ...
(1:189)
* 3.
Bourgogne-Franche-Comté
Bourgogne-Franche-Comté (; , sometimes abbreviated BFC; Arpitan: ''Borgogne-Franche-Comtât'') is a region in eastern France created by the 2014 territorial reform of French regions, from a merger of Burgundy and Franche-Comté. The new region ...
(1:260)
* 4.
Nouvelle-Aquitaine
Nouvelle-Aquitaine () is the largest Regions of France, administrative region in France by area, spanning the west and southwest of Metropolitan France. The region was created in 2014 by the merging of Aquitaine, Limousin, and Poitou-Charentes ...
(1:283)
* 5.
Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes
Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes (; AURA) or ; or ; . is a Regions of France, region in southeast-central France created by the 2014 territorial reform of French regions; it resulted from the merger of Auvergne and Rhône-Alpes. The new region came into e ...
(1:296)
* 6.
Brittany
Brittany ( ) is a peninsula, historical country and cultural area in the north-west of modern France, covering the western part of what was known as Armorica in Roman Gaul. It became an Kingdom of Brittany, independent kingdom and then a Duch ...
(1:333)
* 7.
Pays de la Loire
Pays de la Loire (; but can also mean 'Lower Loire') is one of the eighteen administrative regions of France, located on the country's Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic coast. It was created in the 1950s to serve as a zone of influence for its capital an ...
(1:336)
* 8.
Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur
Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur (commonly shortened to PACA), also known as Région Sud, is one of the eighteen Regions of France, administrative regions of France, located at the far southeastern point of the Metropolitan France, mainland. The main P ...
(1:348)
* 9.
Hauts-de-France
Hauts-de-France (; ; ), also referred to in English as Upper France, is the northernmost region of France, created by the territorial reform of French regions in 2014, from a merger of Nord-Pas-de-Calais and Picardy. Its prefecture is Lille. ...
(1:391)
List of people with the name
The following people and items share the name Bernard:
Bernard (son of Charles the Fat) Bernard or Bernhard (c. 870 – 891/2) was the only child of Emperor Charles the Fat. He was born of an unknown concubine and was thus considered illegitimate. Charles tried to make him his heir, but failed in two attempts.
Charles tried to have Be ...
(died 891 or 892), Duke of Alemannia
* Bernard Gui (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
Bernard (died c. 1331) was a Tironensian abbot, administrator and bishop active in late 13th- and early 14th-century Scotland, during the First War of Scottish Independence. He first appears in the records already established as Abbot of Kilwi ...
(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''
Bernard Baruch
Bernard Mannes Baruch (August 19, 1870 – June 20, 1965) was an American financier and statesman.
After amassing a fortune on the New York Stock Exchange, he impressed President Woodrow Wilson by managing the nation's economic mobilization in W ...
Bernard Ebbers
Bernard John Ebbers (August 27, 1941 – February 2, 2020) was a Canadian-American businessman and the co-founder and CEO of WorldCom. Under his management, WorldCom grew rapidly but collapsed in 2002 amid revelations of accounting irregulariti ...
(1941–2020), engineered an accounting fraud at WorldCom while he was its CEO
*
Bernie Ecclestone
Bernard Charles Ecclestone (born 28 October 1930) is a British business magnate, motorsport executive and former racing driver. Widely known in journalism as the "F1 Supremo", Ecclestone founded the Formula One Group in 1987, controlling the c ...
(born 1930), British business magnate and primary authority in Formula One
* Bernard Edwards (American football) (born 1969), American football player
*
Bernard Fanning
Bernard Joseph Fanning (born 15 August 1969) is an Australian musician and singer-songwriter. He was the lead vocalist of Queensland alternative rock band Powderfinger from its formation in 1989.
Born and raised in Toowong, Brisbane, Fanning ...
(born 1969), Australian singer, Powderfinger
* Bernard Finnigan (born 1972), Australian politician and sex offender
* Bernard T. Feld (1919–1993), 20th century physicist and anti-nuclear activist
* Bernard Fox (Irish republican) (born 1951), Provisional Irish Republican Army member
* Bernard Freeman, birth name of American rapper Bun B
* Bernard Freyberg, 1st Baron Freyberg, New Zealand's most famous soldier and General of World War II
*
Bernard Grech
Bernard Grech (born 8 June 1971) is a Maltese politician and lawyer who has been the leader of the Nationalist Party and the Leader of the Opposition since 2020.
Early and professional life
Grech was born on 8 June 1971, in Paola to John an ...
, Maltese politician serving as the leader of the Nationalist Party and Opposition
* Bernard Guignedoux (1947–2021), French football player
* Bernard Hall (disambiguation), multiple people
* Bernard Henry (born 1960), American football player
*
Bernard Herrmann
Bernard Herrmann (born Maximillian Herman; June 29, 1911December 24, 1975) was an American composer and conductor best known for his work in film scoring. As a conductor, he championed the music of lesser-known composers. He is widely regarde ...
(1911–1975), American film composer
* Bernard Hill (1944–2024), English actor
*
Bernard Hinault
Bernard Hinault (; born 14 November 1954) is a French former professional road bicycle racing, road cyclist. With 147 professional victories, including five times the Tour de France, he is often named among the greatest cyclists of all time. In ...
(born 1954), French cyclist, five-time winner of the Tour de France
* Bernard Hopkins (born 1965), boxer
* Bernard Jayamanna (1908–1965), Sri Lankan Sinhala playwright, director, producer, actor
* Bernard Jayasuriya, Sri Lankan businessman and politician
*
Bernard Kalb
Bernard Kalb (February 4, 1922 – January 8, 2023) was an American journalist, moderator, media critic, lecturer, and author.
Early life and education
Kalb was born in New York City on February 4, 1922, the son of Bella (Portnoy) and Max Kalb ...
(1922–2023), American broadcast journalist
*
Bernard Kester
Bernard Kester (1928–2018) was an American designer, artist, curator, and writer, known for his pottery and textile design. He was instrumental in the studio craft movement in the United States through his work as a curator and exhibit designer ...
(1928–2018), American artist, designer
* Bernard Koura (1923–2018), French painter
* Bernard Ładysz (1922–2020), Polish singer and actor
*
Bernard Lagat
Bernard Kipchirchir Lagat (born December 12, 1974) is a Kenyan-American former Middle-distance running, middle and long-distance running, long-distance runner.
Lagat was born in Kapsabet, Kenya. Prior to his List of eligibility transfers in at ...
(born 1974), Kenyan-American distance runner
*
Bernard Lee
John Bernard Lee (10 January 190816 January 1981) was an English actor, best known for his role as M in the first eleven Eon-produced James Bond films. Lee's film career spanned the years 1934 to 1979, though he had appeared on stage from ...
(1908–1981), English actor
* Bernard Lepkofker, American competitive judoka
* Bernard Looney (born 1969/1970), Irish businessman, CEO of BP
* Bernie Mac (born Bernard McCullough, 1957–2008), comedian and actor
*
Bernard Madoff
Bernard Lawrence Madoff ( ; April 29, 1938April 14, 2021) was an American financial criminal and financier who was the admitted mastermind of the largest known Ponzi scheme in history, worth an estimated $65 billion. He was at one time ...
(1938–2021), American stockbroker who engineered a $65 billion Ponzi scheme
*
Bernard Malamud
Bernard Malamud (April 26, 1914 – March 18, 1986) was an American novelist and short story writer. Along with Saul Bellow, Joseph Heller, Isaac Bashevis Singer, Norman Mailer and Philip Roth, he was one of the best known American Jewish ...
(1914–1986), American writer
*
Bernard Manning
Bernard John Manning (13 August 1930 – 18 June 2007) was an English comedian and nightclub owner. He gained a high profile on British television during the 1970s, appearing on shows such as '' The Comedians'' and '' The Wheeltappers and Shun ...
(1930–2007), British stand-up comedian
* Bernard Matthews, English turkey farmer, founder of Bernard Matthews Limited
* Bernard McGinley, American judge
* Bernard Ménétrel (1906–1947), French physician and advisor to Marshal Philippe Pétain during World War II
* Bernard Mohlalisi (1933–2020), Mosotho Roman Catholic bishop
*
Bernard Montgomery
Field Marshal Bernard Law Montgomery, 1st Viscount Montgomery of Alamein (; 17 November 1887 – 24 March 1976), nicknamed "Monty", was a senior British Army officer who served in the First World War, the Irish War of Independence and the ...
Bernie Sanders
Bernard Sanders (born September8, 1941) is an American politician and activist who is the Seniority in the United States Senate, senior United States Senate, United States senator from the state of Vermont. He is the longest-serving independ ...
(born 1941), US Senator from Vermont
* Bernard Satenstein (1906–1959), American football player
* Bernard Schuiteman (born 1973), Dutch football player
*
George Bernard Shaw
George Bernard Shaw (26 July 1856 – 2 November 1950), known at his insistence as Bernard Shaw, was an Irish playwright, critic, polemicist and political activist. His influence on Western theatre, culture and politics extended from the 188 ...
(1856–1950), usually referred to as "Bernard Shaw", Irish playwright, critic, and essayist
*
Bernard Shaw
George Bernard Shaw (26 July 1856 – 2 November 1950), known at his insistence as Bernard Shaw, was an Irish playwright, critic, polemicist and political activist. His influence on Western theatre, culture and politics extended from the 188 ...
Bernie Taupin
Bernard John Taupin (born 22 May 1950) is an English lyricist and visual artist. He is best known for his songwriting partnership with Elton John, recognised as one of the most successful partnerships of its kind in history. Taupin co-wrote th ...
(born 1950), British songwriter and collaborator with Elton John
* Bernard Tilakaratna (1927–2004), Sri Lankan diplomat
*
Bernard Tomic
Bernard Tomic (; , ; born 21 October 1992) is an Australian professional tennis player. He has been ranked as high as world No. 17 in men's singles by the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP). Tomic has won four singles titles on the ATP To ...
(born 1992), Australian tennis player
* Bernard Vogler (1935–2020), French historian and academic
* Bernard Whitman (), Democratic strategist and pollster
* Bernard "Bernie" Wolfe (born 1951), Canadian hockey player
* Bernard Wolfman (1924–2011), American dean of the University of Pennsylvania Law School, and law professor
* Bernard Zehrfuss (1911–1996), French architect
* Bernard Welsh (1959)
Surname
* Agnes Bernard (1842–1932), British Roman Catholic nun
*
Alain Bernard
Alain Bernard (; born 1 May 1983) is a former French swimmer from Aubagne, Bouches-du-Rhône.
Bernard won a total of four medals (two golds, one silver, and one bronze) at two Olympic Games (2008 and 2012). He also won numerous medals at the W ...
Claude Bernard
Claude Bernard (; 12 July 1813 – 10 February 1878) was a French physiologist. I. Bernard Cohen of Harvard University called Bernard "one of the greatest of all men of science". He originated the term ''milieu intérieur'' and the associated c ...
(1813–1878), French physiologist
*
Crystal Bernard
Crystal Lynn BernardLeszczak, Bob (2015). From Small Screen to Vinyl: A Guide to Television Stars Who Made Record, 1950–2000'. Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield. p. 21. (born September 30, 1961) is a retired American singer-songwriter and ...
David Bernard (orchestra conductor)
David Bernard is an American orchestral conductor and music director of the Park Avenue Chamber Symphony in New York City, which he founded in 1999. He is also music director of Massapequa Philaharmonic and the Eglevsky Ballet, and has conducted ...
(born 1964), American conductor, pianist and clarinetist
* Dwight Bernard (born 1952), American baseball player
* Ed Bernard (born 1939), American actor
*
Edward Bernard
Edward Bernard (1638 – 12 January 1697) was an English scholar and Savilian professor of astronomy at the University of Oxford, from 1673 to 1691.
Life
He was born at Paulerspury, Northamptonshire. He was educated at Merchant Taylors' Scho ...
(1638–1697), English scholar
* Émile Bernard (composer) (1843–1902), French composer and organist
*
Émile Bernard (painter)
Émile Henri Bernard (; 28 April 1868 – 16 April 1941) was a French Post-Impressionist painter and writer, who had artistic friendships with Vincent van Gogh, Paul Gauguin and Eugène Boch, and at a later time, Paul Cézanne. Most of his no ...
FRSL
The Royal Society of Literature (RSL) is a learned society founded in 1820 by George IV of the United Kingdom, King George IV to "reward literary merit and excite literary talent". A charity that represents the voice of literature in the UK, the ...
Joseph E. Bernard
Joseph E. Bernard (June 1, 1880 – October 18, 1958) was an American character actor of the 1930s and 1940s.
Biography
Bernard was born in New Orleans, Louisiana, to James Alfred Bernard and Katherine Bernard (née Tuite). He had a younger brot ...
(1880–1958), American character actor
* Joseph Karl Bernard (1850), Austrian journalist and librettist
* Jules Bernard (born 2000), American basketball player
* Kent Bernard (1942–2025), Trinidadian athlete
* Lauren Bernard (born 2001), American ice hockey player
* Laurent Bernard (born 1971), French basketball player
* Lawrence G. Bernard (1914–1997), rear admiral in the U.S. Navy
* Léonce Bernard (1943–2013), Canadian politician
* Lorenzo Bernard, Italian para-cyclist
* Lucas M. Bernard, American financial economist
* Marvin Bernard, American rapper, better known by his stage name
Tony Yayo
Marvin Bernard (born March 31, 1978), better known by his stage name Tony Yayo, is an American rapper. He is best known as a member of G-Unit, a hip hop group he formed with his childhood friends, 50 Cent and Lloyd Banks. Yayo released his debu ...
Bernard
Bernard ('' Bernhard'') is a French and West Germanic masculine given name. It has West Germanic origin and is also a surname.
The name is attested from at least the 9th century. West Germanic ''Bernhard'' is composed from the two elements ''be ...
, a character from ''
Blackadder II
''Blackadder II'' is the second series of the BBC sitcom ''Blackadder'', written by Richard Curtis and Ben Elton, which aired from 9 January 1986 to 20 February 1986. The series is set in England during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I (1558–160 ...
'', who is usually only called by her title: Nursie
* Bernard, a character from ''
Megamind
''Megamind'' is a 2010 American animated superhero comedy film produced by DreamWorks Animation and Pacific Data Images, and distributed by Paramount Pictures. Directed by Tom McGrath from a screenplay by Alan Schoolcraft and Brent Simons, ...
'', Played by
Ben Stiller
Benjamin Edward Meara Stiller (born November 30, 1965) is an American actor, comedian, and filmmaker. Known for his blend of slapstick humor and sharp wit, Stiller rose to fame through comedies such as ''There's Something About Mary'' (1998), ' ...
* Bernard, the titular character in the 1980 picture book '' Not Now, Bernard'' by David McKee
* Bernard, a character from ''
Live with Yourself!
''Live with Yourself!'' (''LWY'') is a science fiction comedy webtoon series written and drawn by Andrew "Shen" Tsyaston and David J. Catman. Initially created by the former before passing creative control to the latter, it follows computer su ...
''
* Bernard, a character from '' The Waves''
* Bernard, a mouse from ''
The Rescuers
''The Rescuers'' is a 1977 American Animated film, animated adventure film, adventure comedy-drama film produced by Walt Disney Productions and released by Buena Vista Distribution. Bob Newhart and Eva Gabor respectively star as Bernard and B ...
'' books and films
* Bernard, the Sea Hag's pet vulture in the ''
Popeye
Popeye the Sailor Man is a fictional cartoon character created by E. C. Segar, Elzie Crisler Segar.Ernest Penfold in Danger Mouse
* Bernarda Alba, the mother in Federico García Lorca's drama, '' La casa de Bernarda Alba''
* Bernard Beasley, a character from the children's programme ''Bernard's Watch''
* Bernard Bernoulli, a character from ''Maniac Mansion''
* Bernard Black, a character from ''Black Books''
* Barney Fife, Bernard "Barney" Fife, deputy sheriff of Mayberry from ''The Andy Griffith Show''
* Bernard Lowe, a character from ''Westworld (film), Westworld''
* Bernard Marx from ''Captain America: Brave New World''
* Bernard Nadler, a character from the television show ''Lost''
* Bernard the Arch-elf, The Head elf from Disney's Santa Clause Movies
* Bernard the Bee Boy, a boy raised by bees seen in two commercials for Honeycomb (cereal), Honey Comb cereal
* Bernard Wiseman, a character from ''Mobile Suit Gundam 0080: War in the Pocket''
* Bernard Woolley, a character from ''Yes Minister''
* Bernard Mickey Wrangle, an explosive character from ''Still Life with Woodpecker'' by Tom Robbins
* Bernardo, Zorro's companion
* Giant Bernard, wrestling name of Matt Bloom
* Bernie Lomax The Boss who dies in the 80s comedy film Weekend at Bernie's
Surname
* Andy Bernard, character on the United States television series ''The Office''
See also
*
*
* Barnard (disambiguation)
* Barney (disambiguation)
* Bernat (disambiguation)
* Bernhard (disambiguation)
* Grand Rivers, Kentucky, United States, formerly known as Bernard
* Saint Bernard (disambiguation)
References
{{given name, type=both
French masculine given names
French-language surnames
English masculine given names
Given names derived from animals
Masculine given names
Patronymic surnames
Surnames from given names