Bernard Family History

Bernard Surname Meaning

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.

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names 2nd edition, 2022

Similar surnames: Bernhard, Bernards, Bernardy, Leonard, Bernat, Reynard, Berard, Berner, Lenard, Beard

452K	Birth, Marriage, and Deaths
37K	Military Records
43K	Immigration Records
214K	Census and Voter Lists
757K	Member Trees

Search for a relative to learn more about your family history.

Where is the Bernard family from?

You can see how Bernard families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Bernard family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Bernard families were found in USA in 1880. In 1891 there were 322 Bernard families living in London. This was about 32% of all the recorded Bernard's in United Kingdom. London had the highest population of Bernard families in 1891.

Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Bernard surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

View Census Data for Bernard

What did your Bernard ancestors do for a living?

In 1939, General labourer and Unpaid domestic duties were the top reported jobs for men and women in the United Kingdom named Bernard. 18% of Bernard men worked as a General labourer and 68% of Bernard women worked as an Unpaid domestic duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Bernard were House painter and Domestic servant.

View Census Data for Bernard

Data not to scale

We display top occupations by gender to maintain their historical accuracy during times when men and women often performed different jobs.

General labourer

18%

ladies tailor

Chef

House painter

Unpaid domestic duties

68%

Private means

Housewife

Domestic servant

What Bernard family records will you find?

Census Record

There are 214K census records available for the last name Bernard. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Bernard census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Bernard

Passenger List

There are 43K immigration records available for the last name Bernard. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in the UK, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

View all Bernard immigration records

Military Records

There are 37K military records available for the last name Bernard. For the veterans among your Bernard ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Bernard military records

You've only scratched the surface of Bernard family history

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What is the average Bernard lifespan?

Between 1941 and 2004, in the United States, Bernard life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1943, and highest in 2002. The average life expectancy for Bernard in 1941 was 50, and 73 in 2004.

Discover the unique achievements of ancestors in the Bernard family tree

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Search for another surname

Bernard Surname Meaning

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.

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names 2nd edition, 2022

Where is the Bernard family from?

What did your Bernard ancestors do for a living?

Data not to scale

We display top occupations by gender to maintain their historical accuracy during times when men and women often performed different jobs.

General labourer

18%

ladies tailor

Chef

House painter

Unpaid domestic duties

68%

Private means

Housewife

Domestic servant

What Bernard family records will you find?

What is the average Bernard lifespan?

Between 1941 and 2004, in the United States, Bernard life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1943, and highest in 2002. The average life expectancy for Bernard in 1941 was 50, and 73 in 2004.

Bernard Family History

Bernard Surname Meaning

1 million record(s) for Bernard

Search for a relative to learn more about your family history.

Where is the Bernard family from?

What did your Bernard ancestors do for a living?

Top Male Occupations In 1939

Top Female Occupations In 1939

What Bernard family records will you find?

Census Record

Passenger List

Military Records

You've only scratched the surface of Bernard family history

What is the average Bernard lifespan?

Discover the unique achievements of ancestors in the Bernard family tree

Search for another surname

Bernard Surname Meaning

1 million record(s) for Bernard

Search for a relative to learn more about your family history.

Where is the Bernard family from?

What did your Bernard ancestors do for a living?

Top Male Occupations In 1939

Top Female Occupations In 1939

What Bernard family records will you find?

Census Record

Passenger List

Military Records

You've only scratched the surface of Bernard family history

What is the average Bernard lifespan?

Discover the unique achievements of ancestors in the Bernard family tree

Search for another surname