Bernard
Bernard comes from the Germanic "bern" (bear) and "hard" (brave, hardy) — meaning "brave as a bear." The name suggests someone with the courage and strength of a bear. Saint Bernard of Clairvaux (1090-1153) was a 12th-century French abbot and theologian whose influence shaped the Cistercian order. Saint Bernard of Menthon (c.1020-1081) gave his name to the St. Bernard rescue dog breed. Bernard was a top-100 American name from 1880 to 1945, peaking at #47 in 1921. Then it declined steeply. Bernard Shaw (1856-1950), the Irish playwright whose "Pygmalion" (1912) became "My Fair Lady," is one of the most important writers in English after Shakespeare. Bernard (the physicist Bernard Malamud, 1914-1986) gave the name literary weight through "The Natural" (1952). I find Bernard has a serious, slightly Germanic quality — the "B" opening is firm, and the "rn" cluster gives it density. The nickname Bernie (as in Bernie Sanders, the US Senator) lightens it considerably. Bernard has been outside the US top 1000 since 1997. Bernard is a male name of Germanic origin that means "Brave as a bear". Serious, Germanic, and principled. The name sounds historic. Bernards tend to be steady. US peaked #47 in 1921. Outside top 1000 since 1997. Well-known people named Bernard include Saint Bernard of Clairvaux, George Bernard Shaw (playwright), Bernie Sanders (politician), Bernard (Germanic name). Common variations and related forms of Bernard include Bernardo (Italian/Spanish), Bernhard (German), Berno (Old German), Bernie (nickname).