Bernard - A very unique male name
Bernard at a glance
Bernard is ranked #1450 among boy baby names in 2025, with 74 births in 2025. It peaked in 1919 at #45 and first appeared on the charts in 1910.
- Rank in 2025
- #1450
- Births in 2025
- 74
- Peak year
- 1919 (#45)
- First appeared
- 1910
- Trend
- #1285 in 2020 → #1450 in 2025 (Falling)
- Popularity
- 1 in 19,815 boys
- Visitor rating
- 5.0/5 (3 recent votes)
Source: U.S. Social Security Administration · Data through 2025 · Updated 2026
With that position 1 in 19,815 baby boys were given this name - making this a very unique male name according to our Popularity Score algorithm. Bernard peaked in popularity 107 years ago in 1919 on position 45.
Famous with this name
Bernard Archard
Bernard Lee
Bernard Ingham
How would you rate Bernard, 1-5?
Bernard is currently topping the charts in...
Did you know that popularity can vary a lot between states? Bernard is currently topping the baby name charts in New York at position #1,001 - and is the least popular in Texas at position #1,930.Why care about state specific baby name charts? It could be that a name that is very popular on the national overall charts is less (or even more) popular where you live. So make sure you check out the state specific charts below and find out how popular or unique Bernard is where you live.
Comment and discuss
Bernard origin and meaning
Germanic, via French
'Bear-brave' — from Germanic bern (bear) + hard (brave, strong)
Bernard is an old Germanic name carried across Europe by saints, including St Bernard of Clairvaux. It was a mainstream American name into the 1920s, peaking in 1924, and has fallen for a century since. That long decline now makes it a deep vintage choice rather than a common one.
Attested etymology
Bernard is a 7 letter name with 2 syllables.
To see famous people named Bernard, pop culture references for the name Bernard and nicknames & variations - visit Nameberry or Wikipedia.Similar to Bernard
We've found the following names that sound similar to Bernard, sorted by popularity.
Bernardo / Bernardino / Bernhard / Brenner / Bernhardt / Bernerd / Barnard / Bronner /Name statistics
Most parents-to-be know if they want a popular or unique name, and with these charts and data tables you can easily get a better
understanding of how popular or unique this name is.
With a quick glance you can easily tell if this name is increasing or declining in popularity - But note that its current popularity can actually
differ a lot from state to state.
Chart position per year (visualized)
Chart position per state (visualized)
Chart position per year (table view)
| Year | Rank |
|---|---|
| 2025 | 1450 |
| 2024 | 1345 |
| 2023 | 1610 |
| 2022 | 1270 |
| 2021 | 1257 |
| 2020 | 1285 |
| 2019 | 1246 |
| 2018 | 1137 |
| 2017 | 1156 |
| 2016 | 1196 |
| 2015 | 1213 |
| 2014 | 1141 |
| 2013 | 1087 |
| 2012 | 1134 |
| 2011 | 1142 |
| 2010 | 1117 |
| 2009 | 985 |
| 2008 | 960 |
| 2007 | 914 |
| 2006 | 932 |
| 2005 | 845 |
| 2004 | 765 |
| 2003 | 832 |
| 2002 | 743 |
| 2001 | 679 |
| 2000 | 644 |
| 1999 | 637 |
| 1998 | 618 |
| 1997 | 564 |
| 1996 | 575 |
| 1995 | 499 |
| 1994 | 499 |
| 1993 | 439 |
| 1992 | 425 |
| 1991 | 410 |
| 1990 | 433 |
| 1989 | 352 |
| 1988 | 344 |
| 1987 | 343 |
| 1986 | 334 |
| 1985 | 316 |
| 1984 | 316 |
| 1983 | 313 |
| 1982 | 296 |
| 1981 | 291 |
| 1980 | 278 |
| 1979 | 270 |
| 1978 | 267 |
| 1977 | 263 |
| 1976 | 248 |
| 1975 | 241 |
| 1974 | 239 |
| 1973 | 227 |
| 1972 | 212 |
| 1971 | 204 |
| 1970 | 213 |
| 1969 | 200 |
| 1968 | 189 |
| 1967 | 179 |
| 1966 | 177 |
| 1965 | 170 |
| 1964 | 165 |
| 1963 | 164 |
| 1962 | 162 |
| 1961 | 156 |
| 1960 | 152 |
| 1959 | 152 |
| 1958 | 145 |
| 1957 | 137 |
| 1956 | 131 |
| 1955 | 127 |
| 1954 | 123 |
| 1953 | 119 |
| 1952 | 111 |
| 1951 | 108 |
| 1950 | 109 |
| 1949 | 111 |
| 1948 | 107 |
| 1947 | 100 |
| 1946 | 102 |
| 1945 | 97 |
| 1944 | 94 |
| 1943 | 92 |
| 1942 | 90 |
| 1941 | 87 |
| 1940 | 82 |
| 1939 | 75 |
| 1938 | 75 |
| 1937 | 72 |
| 1936 | 68 |
| 1935 | 67 |
| 1934 | 65 |
| 1933 | 63 |
| 1932 | 60 |
| 1931 | 54 |
| 1930 | 52 |
| 1929 | 51 |
| 1928 | 49 |
| 1927 | 50 |
| 1926 | 49 |
| 1925 | 48 |
| 1924 | 46 |
| 1923 | 46 |
| 1922 | 46 |
| 1921 | 45 |
| 1920 | 46 |
| 1919 | 45 |
| 1918 | 47 |
| 1917 | 49 |
| 1916 | 49 |
| 1915 | 49 |
| 1914 | 50 |
| 1913 | 52 |
| 1912 | 58 |
| 1911 | 55 |
| 1910 | 68 |
Chart position per state (table view)
| State | Rank |
|---|---|
| New York | 1001 |
| North Carolina | 1044 |
| Virginia | 1110 |
| Florida | 1201 |
| Georgia | 1228 |
| Pennsylvania | 1258 |
| Ohio | 1290 |
| Illinois | 1312 |
| California | 1517 |
| Texas | 1930 |
Even more about Bernard
These are some of the common questions you may want to have answered to know if this is the perfect name for your baby.
Is Bernard a common or unique name?
By analyzing the number of births and frequency of this name we've determined that it's currently a very unique male name.What is the number of syllables for the name Bernard?
2 syllables. Why is this important? One of the things that makes a baby name sound good and have a nice rythm is the number of syllables - and especially the number of syllables along with the syllable count for your last name. A simple rule is to avoid having the same number of syllables in your first, middle and last name.Pronunciation
ber-NARD · /bərˈnɑːrd/
Around the world
- Bernhard (German) — The German form of the name.
- Bernardo (Spanish) — The Spanish form of the name.
- Bernardo (Italian) — The Italian form of the name.
- Bernard (French) — Used as-is in French, pronounced bair-NAR.
Spellings and nicknames
- Bernhard — The German spelling, also recorded in American data.
Nicknames: BernieBern
Famous bearers
- Bernard of Clairvaux — French abbot and theologian, a major figure of medieval Christianity and a saint (1090–1153) Historical
- Bernard Montgomery — British field marshal of the Second World War, victor at El Alamein (1887–1976) Historical
- Bernard Haitink — Dutch conductor, chief conductor of the Concertgebouw and a leading figure in orchestral music (1929–2021) Contemporary
Style
ClassicInternational
Why parents choose it
Bernard is a weighty, saintly classic that has been out of fashion long enough to sound fresh again to some ears. Bernie gives it an easy everyday form.
Worth knowing
- Many people picture the St Bernard dog breed first.
- Bernard and Bernhard spellings split, and Bernie can feel like a different generation's name.
