Bernardina

Meaning

Bernardina is a feminine form built on Bernard, from Germanic elements meaning “bear” and “hard/firm/strong.” The traditional sense given in the excerpts is “firm as a bear,” which matches the older Christian-name tradition around Bernard and its relatives. The name is most often treated as a feminine surname-style or given-name formation in Romance languages.

Origin

Fun fact

The 1913 source jokingly says it is “seldom or never used,” suggesting it was already quite rare by then.