NameRealm
Bernie

Bernie: name meaning, origin & popularity

Meaning
“brave as a bear”
Origin
Germanic
Say it
BUR-nee · 2 syllables
Used for
Boys (86% of all uses)

Diminutive of Bernard or Bernadette. The underlying Germanic elements are bern 'bear' and hard 'brave, hardy.'

English namesGerman namesAmerican namesNames meaning braveNames meaning animalNames meaning strengthClassic namesShort names

How popular is Bernie?

20245.1 per million US babies
1880192019602000
Drag the line or the slider to read any year. Values are per million US births recorded by Social Security. Records before about 1937 undercount births, so early peaks can look taller than they were.

Babies named Bernie in 202417

Peak year1934

Total US babies since 188010,752

Bernie is steady now but far below its 1934 peak.

Names like Bernie

Variants, related forms and names with the same roots.

  • Williamresolute protector · Germanic
  • Henryhome ruler · Germanic
  • Charlesfree man · Germanic
  • Milessoldier or merciful · Germanic
  • Robertbright fame · Germanic
  • Emeryindustrious ruler · Germanic
  • Milogracious; dear · Germanic
  • Luisfamous warrior · Germanic

Bernie questions

What does the name Bernie mean?

Bernie means "brave as a bear". It comes from Germanic. Diminutive of Bernard or Bernadette. The underlying Germanic elements are bern 'bear' and hard 'brave, hardy.'

Is Bernie a boy or girl name?

Bernie is mainly a boy's name in US records (86% of uses since 1880).

How popular is Bernie?

17 US babies were named Bernie in 2024. Its peak year was 1934.

How do you pronounce Bernie?

Bernie is usually pronounced BUR-nee.

Birth counts: US Social Security Administration national data, 1880–2024 (names given to 5+ babies of a sex in a year). How we write meanings.