 Bernard of Clairvaux (Saint Bernard) | |
| Pronunciation | mainly UK: /ˈbɜːrnərd/ or /ˈbɜːrnəd/ mainly US: /bərˈnɑːrd/[1] French: [bɛʁ.naʁ] Dutch: [ˈbɛrnɑrt] |
|---|---|
| Gender | masculine |
| Origin | |
| Language(s) | West Germanic |
| Meaning | Brave as a bear |
| Region of origin | medieval Europe |
| Other names | |
| Related names | Bernie, Barnard, Bernardas, Bearnárd, Bernardo, Beñat, Bernhard, Bernhardt, Bernd, Bernt, Bernadetta, Bernadette, Berend, Pearu, Pääru |
Bernard (Bernhard) is a French and West Germanic masculine given name. It has West Germanic origin and is also a surname.[2]
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".[3] 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 name Bernhard was notably popular among Old Frisian speakers.[4] Its wider use was popularized due to Saint Bernhard of Clairvaux (canonized in 1174).
- ^ Wells, John C. (2008). Longman Pronunciation Dictionary (3rd ed.). Longman. ISBN 978-1-4058-8118-0.
- ^ Albert Dauzat, Noms et prénoms de France, Librairie Larousse 1980. p. 38, New completed edition by Marie-Thérèse Morlet.
- ^ "Name Meaning and Origin". Ancestry.com.. T. F. Hoad, English Etymology, Oxford University Press 1993. p. 36.
- ^ Die Kosenamen der Germanen: Eine Studie, Franz Stark, 1868 (German)