Bernard
Boy · BER-nard · Germanic
Vintage revival
Bernard is a boys' name of Germanic origin, meaning “brave as a bear”. In 2025 it ranked 799th for boys in the UK (46 babies) and 1,362nd for boys in the US (137 babies).
What does Bernard mean?
Germanic: Germanic, via Norman French
“brave as a bear”
The St Bernard dog is named after the Alpine hospice of St Bernard of Menthon.
- Say it
- BER-nard
More on Wiktionary.
Is Bernard a girl's or a boy's name?
Bernard is a boys' name. In 2025, it was given to 46 boys in the UK and 137 boys in the US. Too few girls were given it to be listed.
How popular is Bernard in the UK?
- Rank in 2025
- #799among boys
- Babies in 2025
- 46about 1 in 6,500 boys
- Five-year trend
- Risingup 51% in five years
- Same name in a class
- under 1%chance among 15 boys
In 2025, 46 boys in the UK were named Bernard, making it the 799th most popular name for boys. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 914th. Its busiest year was 2024, with 66 boys.
Half of all the boys named Bernard in the UK since 1996 were born between 2004 and 2021. It was already well used in 1996, when the records begin, so earlier boys aren't counted.
Among boys in 2025, it was 782nd in England and Wales and 647th in Scotland.
In the England and Wales top 100 for boys, which the ONS has published every ten years since 1904: 1904 (#45), 1914 (#40), 1924 (#42), 1934 (#38), 1944 (#37) and 1954 (#63).
Bernard in the UK, year by year
| Year | Boys | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 46 | #799 |
| 2024 | 66 | #634 |
| 2023 | 42 | #847 |
| 2022 | 48 | #762 |
| 2021 | 42 | #844 |
| 2020 | 35 | #914 |
| 2019 | 38 | #875 |
| 2018 | 29 | #1,067 |
| 2017 | 35 | #961 |
| 2016 | 38 | #902 |
| 2015 | 35 | #946 |
| 2014 | 34 | #948 |
| 2013 | 30 | #1,017 |
| 2012 | 19 | #1,405 |
| 2011 | 20 | #1,338 |
| 2010 | 29 | #1,047 |
| 2009 | 26 | #1,086 |
| 2008 | 22 | #1,210 |
| 2007 | 25 | #1,065 |
| 2006 | 27 | #959 |
| 2005 | 28 | #895 |
| 2004 | 34 | #746 |
| 2003 | 32 | #737 |
| 2002 | 25 | #821 |
| 2001 | 27 | #728 |
| 2000 | 25 | #763 |
| 1999 | 19 | #900 |
| 1998 | 36 | #569 |
| 1997 | 27 | #671 |
| 1996 | 28 | #629 |
How popular is Bernard in the US?
- Rank in 2025
- #1,362among boys
- Babies in 2025
- 137about 1 in 12,000 boys
- Five-year trend
- Steadydown 13% in five years
- Same name in a class
- under 1%chance among 15 boys
In 2025, 137 boys in the US were named Bernard, making it the 1,362nd most popular name for boys. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 1,250th. Its busiest year was 1924, with 4,505 boys.
Half of all the boys named Bernard in the US since 1880 were born between 1923 and 1956, the years shaded on the chart below.
Bernard in the US, year by year
| Year | Boys | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 137 | #1,362 |
| 2024 | 147 | #1,318 |
| 2023 | 122 | #1,473 |
| 2022 | 148 | #1,289 |
| 2021 | 143 | #1,307 |
| 2020 | 148 | #1,250 |
| 2019 | 150 | #1,251 |
| 2018 | 168 | #1,141 |
| 2017 | 160 | #1,170 |
| 2016 | 163 | #1,169 |
| 2015 | 151 | #1,216 |
| 2014 | 158 | #1,179 |
| 2013 | 168 | #1,100 |
| 2012 | 150 | #1,195 |
| 2011 | 168 | #1,101 |
| 2010 | 172 | #1,108 |
| 2009 | 189 | #1,027 |
| 2008 | 214 | #944 |
| 2007 | 212 | #934 |
| 2006 | 194 | #958 |
| 2005 | 223 | #832 |
| 2004 | 238 | #764 |
| 2003 | 220 | #790 |
| 2002 | 226 | #761 |
| 2001 | 261 | #688 |
| 2000 | 275 | #654 |
| 1999 | 266 | #647 |
| 1998 | 297 | #616 |
| 1997 | 319 | #579 |
| 1996 | 323 | #565 |
| 1995 | 431 | #496 |
| 1994 | 413 | #495 |
| 1993 | 506 | #434 |
| 1992 | 530 | #421 |
| 1991 | 558 | #408 |
| 1990 | 516 | #429 |
| 1989 | 659 | #349 |
| 1988 | 609 | #345 |
| 1987 | 593 | #340 |
| 1986 | 595 | #333 |
| 1985 | 653 | #312 |
| 1984 | 615 | #317 |
| 1983 | 640 | #308 |
| 1982 | 677 | #296 |
| 1981 | 697 | #289 |
| 1980 | 769 | #274 |
| 1979 | 760 | #272 |
| 1978 | 738 | #267 |
| 1977 | 758 | #261 |
| 1976 | 793 | #249 |
| 1975 | 847 | #242 |
| 1974 | 858 | #238 |
| 1973 | 945 | #226 |
| 1972 | 1,047 | #213 |
| 1971 | 1,168 | #205 |
| 1970 | 1,186 | #210 |
| 1969 | 1,284 | #199 |
| 1968 | 1,306 | #189 |
| 1967 | 1,442 | #179 |
| 1966 | 1,522 | #177 |
| 1965 | 1,675 | #170 |
| 1964 | 1,878 | #165 |
| 1963 | 1,946 | #165 |
| 1962 | 1,970 | #161 |
| 1961 | 2,150 | #156 |
| 1960 | 2,302 | #152 |
| 1959 | 2,274 | #152 |
| 1958 | 2,407 | #143 |
| 1957 | 2,532 | #137 |
| 1956 | 2,485 | #129 |
| 1955 | 2,560 | #127 |
| 1954 | 2,727 | #123 |
| 1953 | 2,746 | #119 |
| 1952 | 2,748 | #111 |
| 1951 | 2,772 | #107 |
| 1950 | 2,636 | #110 |
| 1949 | 2,680 | #111 |
| 1948 | 2,715 | #107 |
| 1947 | 2,994 | #100 |
| 1946 | 2,605 | #102 |
| 1945 | 2,388 | #98 |
| 1944 | 2,619 | #94 |
| 1943 | 2,744 | #92 |
| 1942 | 2,724 | #90 |
| 1941 | 2,509 | #87 |
| 1940 | 2,468 | #82 |
| 1939 | 2,624 | #76 |
| 1938 | 2,715 | #75 |
| 1937 | 2,672 | #73 |
| 1936 | 2,853 | #68 |
| 1935 | 2,933 | #67 |
| 1934 | 3,146 | #65 |
| 1933 | 3,005 | #63 |
| 1932 | 3,252 | #60 |
| 1931 | 3,514 | #54 |
| 1930 | 3,831 | #52 |
| 1929 | 3,807 | #52 |
| 1928 | 4,067 | #49 |
| 1927 | 4,165 | #50 |
| 1926 | 4,172 | #49 |
| 1925 | 4,259 | #48 |
| 1924 | 4,505 | #46 |
| 1923 | 4,376 | #46 |
| 1922 | 4,409 | #46 |
| 1921 | 4,485 | #45 |
| 1920 | 4,163 | #46 |
| 1919 | 3,915 | #45 |
| 1918 | 4,098 | #47 |
| 1917 | 3,711 | #49 |
| 1916 | 3,476 | #49 |
| 1915 | 3,302 | #48 |
| 1914 | 2,436 | #50 |
| 1913 | 1,916 | #52 |
| 1912 | 1,437 | #60 |
| 1911 | 777 | #54 |
| 1910 | 560 | #62 |
| 1909 | 463 | #68 |
| 1908 | 414 | #70 |
| 1907 | 378 | #73 |
| 1906 | 343 | #74 |
| 1905 | 292 | #82 |
| 1904 | 326 | #72 |
| 1903 | 271 | #79 |
| 1902 | 259 | #83 |
| 1901 | 242 | #80 |
| 1900 | 308 | #86 |
| 1899 | 222 | #85 |
| 1898 | 284 | #73 |
| 1897 | 234 | #78 |
| 1896 | 241 | #82 |
| 1895 | 259 | #77 |
| 1894 | 256 | #78 |
| 1893 | 217 | #84 |
| 1892 | 237 | #85 |
| 1891 | 187 | #85 |
| 1890 | 178 | #98 |
| 1889 | 215 | #81 |
| 1888 | 207 | #87 |
| 1887 | 159 | #97 |
| 1886 | 180 | #91 |
| 1885 | 160 | #91 |
| 1884 | 140 | #108 |
| 1883 | 141 | #96 |
| 1882 | 144 | #103 |
| 1881 | 130 | #96 |
| 1880 | 140 | #97 |
Nicknames for Bernard
Names like Bernard
Names given in the same years and the same naming tradition, with a similar sound.
Leonard Frederick Albert Edward Alfred Wilfred Arthur Henry Otis Richard William Ernest
Names related to Bernard
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