Boy nameCurrently #1,318 in the USSteady
Bernard
ber-NARD//bərˈnɑːrd//
2 syllablesPeak year: 19247 lettersStarts with B
Meaning & origin
Brave as a bear
Bernard comes from the Germanic elements 'bern' (bear) and 'hard' (brave, strong), meaning 'brave as a bear'. Borne by the influential 12th-century Saint Bernard of Clairvaux, it has a sturdy, old-fashioned dignity.
Bernard's popularity over time
| Year | Births named Bernard |
|---|---|
| 1880 | 140 |
| 1881 | 130 |
| 1882 | 144 |
| 1883 | 141 |
| 1884 | 140 |
| 1885 | 160 |
| 1886 | 180 |
| 1887 | 159 |
| 1888 | 207 |
| 1889 | 215 |
| 1890 | 178 |
| 1891 | 187 |
| 1892 | 237 |
| 1893 | 217 |
| 1894 | 256 |
| 1895 | 259 |
| 1896 | 241 |
| 1897 | 239 |
| 1898 | 284 |
| 1899 | 222 |
| 1900 | 308 |
| 1901 | 247 |
| 1902 | 259 |
| 1903 | 271 |
| 1904 | 326 |
| 1905 | 292 |
| 1906 | 343 |
| 1907 | 378 |
| 1908 | 414 |
| 1909 | 463 |
| 1910 | 565 |
| 1911 | 786 |
| 1912 | 1,437 |
| 1913 | 1,924 |
| 1914 | 2,454 |
| 1915 | 3,322 |
| 1916 | 3,491 |
| 1917 | 3,727 |
| 1918 | 4,117 |
| 1919 | 3,925 |
| 1920 | 4,191 |
| 1921 | 4,500 |
| 1922 | 4,434 |
| 1923 | 4,396 |
| 1924 | 4,524 |
| 1925 | 4,283 |
| 1926 | 4,195 |
| 1927 | 4,199 |
| 1928 | 4,098 |
| 1929 | 3,843 |
| 1930 | 3,854 |
| 1931 | 3,538 |
| 1932 | 3,266 |
| 1933 | 3,024 |
| 1934 | 3,157 |
| 1935 | 2,942 |
| 1936 | 2,863 |
| 1937 | 2,680 |
| 1938 | 2,725 |
| 1939 | 2,635 |
| 1940 | 2,475 |
| 1941 | 2,515 |
| 1942 | 2,736 |
| 1943 | 2,756 |
| 1944 | 2,628 |
| 1945 | 2,405 |
| 1946 | 2,610 |
| 1947 | 3,006 |
| 1948 | 2,715 |
| 1949 | 2,685 |
| 1950 | 2,649 |
| 1951 | 2,777 |
| 1952 | 2,757 |
| 1953 | 2,756 |
| 1954 | 2,737 |
| 1955 | 2,566 |
| 1956 | 2,498 |
| 1957 | 2,550 |
| 1958 | 2,414 |
| 1959 | 2,290 |
| 1960 | 2,313 |
| 1961 | 2,166 |
| 1962 | 1,983 |
| 1963 | 1,962 |
| 1964 | 1,889 |
| 1965 | 1,681 |
| 1966 | 1,540 |
| 1967 | 1,449 |
| 1968 | 1,318 |
| 1969 | 1,295 |
| 1970 | 1,197 |
| 1971 | 1,174 |
| 1972 | 1,059 |
| 1973 | 953 |
| 1974 | 864 |
| 1975 | 857 |
| 1976 | 801 |
| 1977 | 765 |
| 1978 | 748 |
| 1979 | 765 |
| 1980 | 769 |
| 1981 | 705 |
| 1982 | 683 |
| 1983 | 649 |
| 1984 | 623 |
| 1985 | 660 |
| 1986 | 602 |
| 1987 | 599 |
| 1988 | 614 |
| 1989 | 659 |
| 1990 | 516 |
| 1991 | 558 |
| 1992 | 530 |
| 1993 | 515 |
| 1994 | 413 |
| 1995 | 431 |
| 1996 | 323 |
| 1997 | 319 |
| 1998 | 297 |
| 1999 | 266 |
| 2000 | 275 |
| 2001 | 261 |
| 2002 | 226 |
| 2003 | 220 |
| 2004 | 238 |
| 2005 | 223 |
| 2006 | 194 |
| 2007 | 212 |
| 2008 | 214 |
| 2009 | 189 |
| 2010 | 172 |
| 2011 | 168 |
| 2012 | 150 |
| 2013 | 167 |
| 2014 | 158 |
| 2015 | 151 |
| 2016 | 163 |
| 2017 | 160 |
| 2018 | 167 |
| 2019 | 150 |
| 2020 | 147 |
| 2021 | 143 |
| 2022 | 147 |
| 2023 | 122 |
| 2024 | 147 |
Bernard through the decades
- Bernard peaked in 1924, when 4,524 babies were named Bernard in the US.
- Over the last 10 years of data (2015–2024), use of Bernard has fallen 19% compared to the 10 years before that.
- Bernard currently ranks #1,318 in the US and is holding steady.
Nicknames
Bernie
Variants & spellings
Bernardo
Famous people named Bernard
- Saint Bernard of Clairvaux — theologian