Where Do The Names Bernard And Bernadette Come From?

Bernard is originally a French name (in French it is pronounced ber-NAR, and the American pronunciation is similar.) It comes from the old Germanic roots "ber" (bear) and "hard" (hardy or strong.) and in modern German is usually spelled Bernhard. It arrived in England after the Norman conquest of 1066; it was already popular in France mainly due to several famous monks, and became even more so later on, because of the famous 12th century St Bernard. Before the Conquest there was an Old English name Beornheard, but this fell out of use when Bernard was introduced.

Bernadette, the feminine form, is clearly French in origin. Before the 19th century it was very rare in English speaking countries. It is more popular in Ireland than in the UK, being associated with the Catholic saint Bernadette of Lourdes, who is said to have had a vision of the Virgin Mary in the 19th century.

Both the male and female forms are often shortened to Bernie.