Explore the Family Name Bernard
The meaning of Bernard
English, Scottish, French, Walloon, Breton, Dutch, German, Polish, Czech, Slovenian, West Indian (mainly Haiti), and African (mainly Tanzania): from the personal name Bernard, from an ancient Germanic name, composed of the elements ber(n) ‘bear’ + hard ‘brave, hardy, strong’ (see Bernhard). It was borne by several Christian saints, including Saint Bernard of Menthon (923–1008), founder of Alpine hospices and patron saint of mountaineers, whose cult accounts for the frequency of the name in Alpine regions. The popularity of the personal name was also greatly increased by virtue of its having been borne by Saint Bernard of Clairvaux (c.1090–1153), founder and abbot of the Cistercian monastery at Clairvaux. In North America, the English form of the surname has absorbed cognates from other languages, e.g. Italian Bernardo. Bernard is the second most frequent surname in France. Compare Barnard, Benore, and Burnor. History: The first documented bearer of this name in Canada was from the Lorraine region of France. He is recorded in Quebec City, QC, in 1666 as Jean Bernard. He and some of his descendants were dit Anse or Hanse, presumably because his original forename was Hans (German equivalent of French Jean). — The Bernard families of LA have origins in France, Acadia, the West Indies, and Germany. — This surname is listed in the (US) National Huguenot Society’s register of qualified Huguenot ancestors and also in the similar register of the Huguenot Society of South Carolina. Some characteristic forenames: French Armand, Emile, Jacques, Marcel, Pierre, Andre, Lucien, Normand, Henri, Michel, Cecile, Gabrielle.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Bernard in the United States?
According to the Decennial U.S. Census, the surname Bernard decreased slightly in popularity between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, the surname ranked 864th most common in the United States but dropped to 899th place by 2010, a decline of 4.05 percent. However, the number of people bearing the Bernard surname increased from 36,546 in 2000 to 38,512 in 2010, a growth rate of about 5.38 percent. The proportion of Bernards per 100,000 people also decreased by approximately 3.62 percent over this period.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #864 | #899 | -4.05% |
| Count | 36,546 | 38,512 | 5.38% |
| Proportion per 100k | 13.55 | 13.06 | -3.62% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Bernard
In terms of ethnic identity, data from the Decennial U.S. Census reveals some shifts in the Bernard surname carriers' backgrounds. From 2000 to 2010, there was an increase in the percentages of individuals identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander (from 0.77 to 1.09 percent) and Black (from 23.32 to 25.83 percent). Meanwhile, the percentage of those identifying as White decreased from 67.36 percent to 62.84 percent. There was also a notable increase in the Hispanic population carrying the Bernard surname, with the percentage rising from 5.62 to 7.37 percent. The proportions of those identifying as Two or more races saw a slight decline of 2.27 percent, and the American Indian and Alaskan Native figures remained stable at 0.73 percent.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 67.36% | 62.84% | -6.71% |
| Black | 23.32% | 25.83% | 10.76% |
| Hispanic | 5.62% | 7.37% | 31.14% |
| Two or More Races | 2.2% | 2.15% | -2.27% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.77% | 1.09% | 41.56% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.73% | 0.73% | 0% |
Bernard ancestry composition
23andMe computes an ancestry breakdown for each customer. People may have ancestry from just one population or they may have ancestry from several populations. The most commonly-observed ancestry found in people with the surname Bernard is British & Irish, which comprises 35.0% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (26.4%) and Spanish & Portuguese (6.9%). Additional ancestries include Italian, Eastern European, Ashkenazi Jewish, Nigerian, and Scandinavian.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| British & Irish | 35.0% |
| French & German | 26.4% |
| Spanish & Portuguese | 6.9% |
| Other | 31.7% |
Possible origins of the surname Bernard
Your DNA provides clues about where your recent ancestors may have lived. Having many distant relatives in the same location suggests that you may all share common ancestry there. Locations with many distant relatives can also be places where people have migrated recently, such as large cities. If a large number of individuals who share your surname have distant relatives in a specific area, it could indicate a connection between your surname and that location, stemming from either recent ancestral ties or migration.
Based on 23andMe data, people with last name Bernard have recent ancestry locations in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 63.00% |
| Greater Manchester, United Kingdom | 62.90% |
| Merseyside, United Kingdom | 62.60% |
| Glasgow City, United Kingdom | 62.30% |
| West Midlands, United Kingdom | 62.20% |
What Bernard haplogroups can tell you
Haplogroups are genetic population groups that share a common ancestor on either your paternal or maternal line. These paternal and maternal haplogroups shed light on your genetic ancestry and help tell the story of your family.
The top paternal haplogroup of people with the surname Bernard is R-Z209, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup R-Z209 is descended from haplogroup R-M343. Other common haplogroups include R-CTS241 and R-P311, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: David, Winters, Davis, Winter, Brown, Carter, Taylor, Miller, Harrison, Smith.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Bernard surname are: H1, T2b, H. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European ancestry.
Paternal Haplogroup Origins R-M343Your maternal lineage may be linked to Marie Antoinette
Because it is so dominant in the general European population, haplogroup H also appears quite frequently in the continent's royal houses. Marie Antoinette, an Austrian Hapsburg who married into the French royal family, inherited the haplogroup from her maternal ancestors. So did Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, whose recorded genealogy traces his female line to Bavaria. Scientists also discovered that famed 16th century astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus traced his maternal lineages to haplogroup H.
What do people with the surname Bernard have in common?
Spoiler alert: it's complicated. People with the same last name are usually no more genetically similar than a randomly sampled group of people from the same population. That said, people with the same surname are more likely to have similar ancestries than randomly sampled individuals. The reason is the tendency of people with similar cultural or geographical backgrounds to preferentially mate with one another. That's why people who share a surname may be more likely to share traits and tendencies in common than people within the general population. Check out the percentages below to see the prevalences of tastes, habits, and traits of people with your surname compared with prevalences among 23andMe users.
Preferences
Chocolate Ice Cream
Prefers chocolate flavored ice cream over other flavors.
"Bernard" Surname 44.2%
23andMe Users 41.3%
Traits
Misophonia
When sounds made by others, like the sound of chewing or yawning, provoke strong emotional reactions in an individual.
"Bernard" Surname 24.2%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Bernard" Surname 21.2%
23andMe Users 21.1%
Wellness
Migraine
A severe headache characterized by intense pain, sensitivity to light and sound, and often accompanied by nausea and vomiting.
"Bernard" Surname 15.8%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Bernard?
The short answer is that, if there is an association between surname and health, it's usually more about your ancestry than your name. Individuals with a given surname are no more genetically similar than the general population but often have similar ancestries. The populations of people associated with those shared ancestries often have sets of genetic variations, also known as alleles, in common. Some of those alleles are associated with a greater likelihood of developing certain diseases.
Disease variant frequency by ancestry
Disease allele frequencies in populations associated with the surname Bernard are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition