Bernardo

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Bernardo

Gender: Masculine
Language: Spanish, Italian
Etymology:
Bernardo is the Spanish and Italian form of the name Bernard, derived from an Old Germanic name which means “Brave as a Bear,” or “Strength of the Bear” from “beorn” (bear), and “heard (hardy, brave, strong).

History:
An early Germanic import to the Spanish and Italian languages, popular from the early Middle Ages, Bernardo had become rather less common by the 19th century.

The name Bernardo was probably adopted by Spanish and Italian speakers (such as St. Bernardo Tolomei who was born Giovanni Tolomeo) after the example of the French saint Bernard of Clairvaux (1090-1153).

Bernardo was popular in Spain of the 1200s and common in central Italy during the Middle Ages.

Although present, Bernardo has never really been common in the United States.

Please see Bernard for more information.

Pronunciation: bair-nard-oh.

Alternates: Bernardino, Bernandino, Bernando, Barnardo, Bernaldo.

Famous Bearers:
Artists and Authors:
Bernardo Daddi (1290-1355)
Italian painter.
Bernardo Rossellino (1409-1464)
Italian sculptor.
Bernardo Tasso (1493-1569)
Italian poet.
Bernardo de Balbuena (1568-1627)
Puerto Rican poet.
Bernardo Bellotto (1720-1780)
Italian painter.
Bernardo Guimarães (1825-1884)
Brazilian author.
Bernardo Santareno (1924-1980)
Portuguese playwright.

Political Figures:
Bernardo Tanucci (1698-1783)
Italian statesman (of Naples and Sicily).
Bernardo O’Higgins (1776-1842)
Ruler of Chile.

Scientists and Inventors:
Bernardo Alberto Houssay (1887-1971)
Argentine physiologist. Co-winner of the 1947 Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine.

Singers and Entertainers:
Bernardo Bertolucci (1940-)
Italian filmmaker.

Popularity:
Percentage from the 1990 U.S. Census:
0.010 % named Bernardo

Popularity of Bernardo:
Popularity (for newborns):
In the United States...
1880-1887: N/A
1888: 918th most popular.
1889-1894: N/A
1895: 980th most popular.
1896-1912: N/A
1913: 950th most popular.
1914-1944: N/A
1945: 949th most popular.
1946: 908th most popular.
1947: 968th most popular.
1948: 958th most popular.
1949: 846th most popular.
1950: 992nd most popular.
1951: 979th most popular.
1952: 903rd most popular.
1953: 997th most popular.
1954: 887th most popular.
1955-1957: N/A
1958: 866th most popular.
1959: 833rd most popular.
1960: 916th most popular.
1961: 930th most popular.
1962: 877th most popular.
1963: 855th most popular.
1964: 845th most popular.
1965: 810th most popular.
1966: 873rd most popular.
1967: 788th most popular.
1968: 842nd most popular.
1969: 801st most popular.
1970: 834th most popular.
1971: 784th most popular.
1972: 774th most popular.
1973: 756th most popular.
1974: 753rd most popular.
1975: 785th most popular.
1976: 730th most popular.
1977: 874th most popular.
1978: 912th most popular.
1979: 807th most popular.
1980: 727th most popular.
1981: 715th most popular.
1982: 828th most popular.
1983: 777th most popular.
1984: 868th most popular.
1985: 876th most popular.
1986: 720th most popular.
1987: 843rd most popular.
1988: 737th most popular.
1989: 740th most popular.
1990: 687th most popular.
1991: 685th most popular.
1992: 761st most popular.
1993: 667th most popular.
1994: 636th most popular.
1995: 666th most popular.
1996: 722nd most popular.
1997: 759th most popular.
1998: 794th most popular.
1999: 873rd most popular.
2000: 882nd most popular.
2001: 864th most popular.
2002: 851st most popular.
2003: 970th most popular.
2004: 885th most popular.

Selected Sources:
A Dictionary of First Names, Hanks and Hodges, 1990
The Penguin Dictionary of First Names, Pickering, 1999

The Social Security Administration Actuarial Note 139 (www.ssa.gov) - For popularity stats 1880-Present
The 1880 U.S. Census- For popularity stats 1850-1880, and other information (it is available on-line at www.familysearch.org)