| [ 2 syll. ber-nar(d), be-rna-rd ] The boy name Bernard is pronounced as BerNAARD or BERNerD KEY. Bernard is used chiefly in the English and French languages, and it is derived from Germanic origins. Bernard has the meaning brave as a bear. Two-element name from the elements 'ber' meaning bear ; 'hart' meaning brave, hardy. Berinhard (Germanic) is an original form of Bernard. The name could also be from the Old English Beornheard, itself from the Old English words 'beorn' which means 'man' or 'warrior', and 'heard' which means 'brave'. However, it was the Norman name, derived via French from Germanic origins, that was widely used as an English given name after the Norman Conquest, replacing the Old English cognate and appearing several times in the Domesday Book. The name was borne by Saint Bernard of Menthon (923-1008) of the Benedictine order, who founded monasteries and hospices in the Alpine passes that were eventually named after him. His work in the passes also led to him being known as the patron saint of mountaineers in Catholic custom; the name was also given to the Saint Bernard dog used in mountain rescue work. Other well-known medieval churchmen include Saint Bernard of Clairvaux (1090-1153), Doctor of the Church, and Bernard of Chartres (-1124), a French Neo-Platonist philosopher. The name fell out of favour in the 17th century, and was later revived by the Victorians. The name Bernadette (French) is the female form of Bernard. Bernard has 27 variants that are used in both English and other languages. Variants of Bernard used in English include Barnardo, Barnhard, Barnhardo, Barrett, Bernarr, and Bernhardo. Other English forms include the pet forms Barney, Barnie, Barny, Bear, and Bernie, and the variant spellings Barnard and Burnard. Foreign variants of Bernard include Bearnard (Irish and Scottish), Benno (German), Berend (German), Bernardino (Italian, Portuguese, and Spanish), Bernardo (Italian, Portuguese, and Spanish), Bernat (Catalan), Bernát (Hungarian), Bernd (German), Berndt (German), Bernhard (German), Bernhardt (German), Bernt (Scandinavian), and Vernados (Greek). Another foreign variant is the short form Bern (German). Bernard is a classic favorite. At present it is still somewhat popular as a baby name for boys, though not to the extent it was previously. At the modest height of its usage in 1921, 0.394% of baby boys were given the name Bernard. Its ranking then was #45. The baby name has since experienced a substantial fall in popularity, and in recent years it is of occasional use. In 2007, its usage was only 0.009% and its ranking #943, but it was nonetheless the 2nd most popular after Barrett (English), within all boy names in its group. In 2007, it was 74% more widely used than Bernard. Baby names that sound like Bernard include Burnard (English), Barnard (English), Barnardo (English), Barnhard (English), Bearnard (Irish and Scottish), Bernhard (German), Bernhardt (German), Barnhardo (English), Bernardo (Italian, Portuguese, and Spanish), and Bernhardo (English). KEY: Pronunciation for Bernard: B as in "be (B.IY)" ; ER as in "hurt (HH.ER.T)" ; N as in "knee (N.IY)" ; AA as in "odd (AA.D)" ; R as in "read (R.IY.D)" ; D as in "dee (D.IY)" ; B as in "be (B.IY)" ; ER as in "hurt (HH.ER.T)" ; N as in "knee (N.IY)" ; ER as in "hurt (HH.ER.T)" ; D as in "dee (D.IY)"
Details of famous persons named Bernard:
Actor Tony Curtis, born Bernard Schwarz, 3 June 1925, Bronx, New York.
Actor Bernard Miles, born 27 September 1907 - 14 June 1991, Uxbridge, London, England.
Author Bernard Werber, Toulouse, France.
Journalist Bernard Levin, born 19 August 1928 - 7 August 2004, England.
Military Leader Bernard Law Montgomery, born 17 November 1887 - 25 March 1976, London, England.
Singer Alvin Stardust, born Bernard William Jewry, 27 September 1942 - 27 September 1942, Muswell Hill, North London, England. |
