Boy · Germanic · Christian

Bernard

Say it BUR-nurd

Meaning today: Brave as a bear, strong bear
Original meaning: "bold as a bear; from bero 'bear' and harti 'hard, bold'" Online Etymology Dictionary, s.v. Bernard
Say it: BUR-nurd
Other spellings: Bernhard, Barnard

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Bernard

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Bernard meaning

Bernard is a Christian boy's name of Germanic origin.

Bold as a bear; from bero 'bear' and harti 'hard, bold'

Also used to mean: brave as a bear, strong bear

Bernard comes from the Old High German name Bernhard, joining bero, 'bear', and harti, 'hard, bold, strong', so it means roughly 'bold as a bear'. The Normans carried it to England as Bernart. Its Christian fame comes from St Bernard of Clairvaux, the twelfth-century Cistercian abbot and preacher, and from St Bernard of Menthon, after whom the Alpine rescue dogs are named. In India the name is used by Catholic families in Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Goa and Mangalore.

Source: Online Etymology Dictionary (etymonline.com), s.v. Bernard · entry Bernard · See the entry · checked 25 Oct 2026

References: Online Etymology Dictionary, Bernard · Wikipedia, Bernard of Clairvaux