Bernard ('' Bernhard'') is a French and

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:

Given name

Catholic saints

*Saint Bernard: see Saint Bernard (disambiguation)#People

Medieval

* Bernard, son of Charles Martel (787), Abbot of St. Quentin * Bernard (bishop of Carlisle) (died 1214), 13th-century Catholic bishop * Bernard (bishop of Gaeta) (died 1047) * Bernard (bishop of St Davids) (1115–1148) *

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 (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''

Modern

* Bernard (footballer) (Bernard Anício Caldeira Duarte), Brazilian footballer * Bernard Aluwihare (1902–1961), Sri Lankan politician * Bernard Alvarez, NASCAR racing driver * Bernard Anício Caldeira Duarte, known as "Bernard", Brazilian footballer * Bernard Baruch (1870–1965), American financier and political adviser * Bernard Berrian (born 1980), American football player * Bernard Blandre (born 1948), French sociologist * Bernard Blaut (1940–2007), Polish football player * Bernard Bober (born 1950), Slovak Catholic Prelate, Archbishop of Košice * Bernard Bonnejean (born 1950), French author * Bernard Boursicot (born 1944), on whom the play ''M. Butterfly'' was based * Bernard Bresslaw (1934–1993), British actor, Carry On films * Bernard Butler (born 1970), English musician * Bernard Caprasse (born 1949), Belgian politician * Bernard Cerquiglini (born 1947), French linguist * Bernard Charvin (born 1947), French alpine skier * Bernard Cottret (1951–2020), French historian * Bernard Coyne (giant) (1897–1921), American who is one of only 20 individuals in medical history to have stood 8 feet (240 cm) or more * Bernard Cribbins (1928–2022), English children's TV personality, actor and voice artist * Bernard Dowiyogo (1946–2003), President of Nauru *

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 (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, 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 (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 (1922–2023), American broadcast journalist * Bernard Kester (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 (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 ...

(1887–1976), English military officer * Bernard de Montréal (1939-2003), Canadian author and lecturer * Bernard Moullier (born 1957), French ski jumper * Bernard of Offida (1604–1694), Italian Roman Catholic professed religious from the Order of Friars Minor Capuchin * Bernard Opper (1915–2000), American basketball player * Bernard Orcel (born 1945), French alpine skier * Bernard Parrish (1919–1999), American politician * Bernard Peiris (1908–1977), Sri Lankan lawyer * Bernard Perera (1956–2012), Sri Lankan cricketer * Bernard Rajzman (born 1957), Brazilian volleyball player * Bernard Ringeissen (1934–2025), French classical pianist * Bernard H. "Johnny" Rogers (1905–1977), American politician * Bernard Sachs (1858–1944), American neurologist *

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 (1940–2022), American broadcast journalist * Bernard Shir-Cliff (1924–2017), American editor * Bernard Spilsbury (1877–1947), English pathologist * Bernard Soysa (1914–1997), Sri Lankan Trotskyist * Bernard Stoeser (born 1930), American politician * Bernard Sumner (born 1956), British musician * Bernard Tapie (1943–2021), French businessman and politician *

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 ...

(born 1983), French swimmer * Alfred Aloysous Bernard (1888–1949) American vaudeville singer * Antoine Bernard d'Attanoux (1853–1954), French journalist and explorer * Armand Bernard (1893–1968), French comic actor and composer * Brandon Bernard (1980–2020), American convicted murderer * Carlos Bernard (born 1962), American actor * Catherine Bernard (1662–1712), French novelist * Cheryl Bernard (born 1966), Canadian curler * Christian Bernard (born 1951), French esotericist * Claude Bernard (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 ...

(born 1961), American actress * Daniel Bernard (disambiguation), multiple people * Dave Bernard (American football) (1912–1973), American football player * David Bernard (cricketer) (born 1981), West Indian cricketer * David Bernard (orchestra conductor) (born 1964), American conductor, pianist and clarinetist * Dwight Bernard (born 1952), American baseball player * Ed Bernard (born 1939), American actor * Edward Bernard (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 ...

(1868–1941), French painter * Francis Bernard (disambiguation), multiple people * Germie Bernard (born 2003), American football player * Giovani Bernard (born 1991), American football player * Henri Bernard (1899–1986), French judge * Henri Bernard (1900–1967), French hurdler * Henry Boyle Bernard (1812–1895), Irish Conservative Party politician, MP for Bandon 1863–68 * Henry Bernard, designer of the Palace of Europe, the seat of the Council of Europe * Hilda Bernard (1920–2022), Argentine actress * Jacques Bernard (born 1929), French actor * Jay Bernard

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 ...

(born 1988), British writer. * Jean-David Bernard (born 1977), French rower * Jean-Pierre Bernard (1933–2017), French actor * Jeffrey Bernard (1932–1997), English journalist * John Henry Bernard (1860–1927) Church of Ireland Archbishop of Dublin * Joseph E. Bernard (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 * Micah Bernard (born 2001), American football player * Michel Bernard (disambiguation), multiple people * Nikhil Bernard, Indian footballer * Oliver Bernard (1925–2013), English poet and translator * Oliver Percy Bernard (1881–1939), English architect and scenic designer * Raymond Bernard (1891–1977), French film director and screenwriter * Raymond Bernard (esotericist) (1923–2006), French esotericist * Raymond W. Bernard (1903–1965), early 20th-century American alternative health, esoteric writer, author, and mystic * Rod Bernard (1940–2020), American singer * Samuel Bernard (1615–1687), French miniature painter * Sherman A. Bernard (1925–2012), Louisiana politician * Susan Bernard (1948–2019), American actress and author * Suzanne Bernard (1892–1910), French aviator * Terrel Bernard (born 1999), American football player * Tom Bernard American film distributor * Tristan Bernard (1866–1947), French playwright and novelist * Turner Bernard (born 1998), American football player * Valère Bernard (1860–1936), French artist and writer * William Bernard (disambiguation), multiple people * Wynton Bernard (born 1990), American baseball player

Fictional characters

Given name

* ''Bernard'' (TV shorts), the curious polar bear from the animation series ''Bernard'' * Bernard, a character from '' Blackadder II'', who is usually only called by her title: Nursie * Bernard, a character from '' Megamind'', Played by Ben Stiller * 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 ''Maniac Mansion'' is a 1987 graphic adventure game, graphic adventure video game developed and published by Lucasfilm Games. It follows teenage protagonist Dave Miller as he attempts to rescue his girlfriend Sandy Pantz from a mad scientist, w ...

, a character from ''Maniac Mansion'' * Bernard Black, a character from ''Black Books'' * Bernard "Barney" Fife, deputy sheriff of Mayberry from '' The Andy Griffith Show'' * Bernard Lowe, a character from ''

Westworld ''Westworld'' is an American science fiction dystopia media franchise that began with the Westworld (film), 1973 film ''Westworld'', written and directed by Michael Crichton. The film depicts a technologically advanced Wild West, Wild-West-th ...

'' * Bernard Marx from '' Captain America: Brave New World'' *

Bernard Nadler Rose and Bernard Nadler are fictional characters on the American Broadcasting Company (ABC) television series ''Lost (2004 TV series), Lost'', played by L. Scott Caldwell and Sam Anderson respectively. Rose and Bernard visit a faith healer on thei ...

, 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 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 Zorro ( or , Spanish for "fox") is a fictional character created in 1919 by American Pulp magazine, pulp writer Johnston McCulley, appearing in works set in the Pueblo de Los Ángeles in Alta California. He is typically portrayed as a dashin ...

'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''

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

Geographical distribution

List of people with the name

Given name

Catholic saints

Medieval

Modern

Surname

Fictional characters

Given name

Surname

See also

References