Given name & surname
Bernhard
“as strong and brave as a bear”
In German use, Bernhard is a variant of Bernard. One German interpretation is “as strong and brave as a bear.”
Meaning & origin
What it means
In German use, Bernhard is a variant of Bernard. One German interpretation is “as strong and brave as a bear.”
Explained through its name family
Where it comes from
In German use, Bernhard is a variant of Bernard. An origin associated with Bernard is Germanic.
Explained through its name family
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1880. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin.
From dated birth records
Bernhard through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 1,671
- 1,671 boys · 0 girls
- Most popular year
- 1916
- 55 babies
- 2025
- 0
- Outside the ranked list
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- —
- Too few births to compare
By the numbers
The most recent published U.S. birth count for boys is 6 in 2021. Later missing counts do not mean the name went unused. Its largest published annual count for boys was 55 in 1916. Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 1,534 as a first name in 2020; 3,519 as a surname in 2020.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
Bernhard’s family of names
In German usage, Bernhard has a diminutive in Bernd. In German usage, Bernhard has a later derivative in Barnard. In German usage, Bernhard has a related form in Bernard.
Inner ring: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Around the world
Bernhard has relatives in 16 languages.
34 related names in 16 languages. Point at a dot, or tab to the map and use the arrow keys.
Nicknames & forms 23
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
- Bernardvariant · German, Polish
- Bennodiminutive · German
- Bernhartvariant · German
- Bernhardtvariant · German, English
- Berntvariant · Norwegian, Danish
- Bernddiminutive · German
- Barnetshort form · English
- Berridiminutive · German
Show 15 moreShow fewer
- Bernydiminutive · German
- Bernidiminutive · German
- Berndiminutive · German
- Benzdiminutive · German
- Benodiminutive · German
- Bernharðurvariant · Icelandic
- Berndtdiminutive · German
- Barndshort form · German
- Petzdiminutive · German
- Betzdiminutive · German
- Berodiminutive · German
- Bernodiminutive · German
- Bernhardinusvariant · German
- Bernhardinvariant · German
- Berendtvariant · German
Across languages 17
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
See also 3
Names our sources mention alongside this one. They are related in story or meaning, not forms of this name.
People named Bernhard
- Bernhard von BülowGerman and Prussian politician (1849–1929)
- Bernhard SchlinkGerman writerborn 1944
- Prince Bernhard of Lippe-Biesterfeldhusband of Queen Juliana of the Netherlands (1911-2004); prince consort of the Netherlands (1911-2004)
- Bert TrautmannGerman association football player and coach (1923-2013)
- Bernhard CullmannGerman footballerborn 1949
- Bernhard RustGerman Holocaust perpetrator (1883-1945)
- Bernhard GrzimekGerman zoo director and author (1909–1987)
- Bernhard WickiAustrian actor and film director (1919–2000)
- Bernhard KellermannGerman author (1879-1951)
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
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