Barnard
A surname of old Germanic origin, usually from the personal name Bernard, meaning “strong bear.”
The #1,760 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 15,160 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Barnard is generally treated as a surname from the medieval personal name Bernard, ultimately built from Germanic elements meaning “bear” and “hardy, strong.” The usual sense is therefore “strong bear” or “bold as a bear.” Some 19th-century authorities also connected it with related forms such as Barnet/Barnett or, more distantly, with Old Norse personal-name forms, but the standard explanation is the Bernard line.
History
The name was established in England in the medieval period, helped by the popularity of Saint Bernard of Clairvaux and the widespread use of Bernard as a baptismal name. Later surname spellings and pronunciations varied, and Barnard could sometimes be treated as a reduced or altered form of Bernard. It remained common in England and later spread widely in English-speaking countries, including the United States.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
Lower specifically notes Barnard as a well-known Teutonic personal name, while Bardsley says the saintly Bernard gave the name a strong medieval boost.
From the historical record
“BARNACLE. A hamlet in co. Warwick. BARNARD. A well-known Teutonic personal name. BANARDISTON. A parish in Suffolk, said to have been the residence of the family temp. Will. I. B.L.G. BARNEBY. Barnby In the E.R. of Yorlvshirc, anciently possessed by the family.”
— Patronymica Britannica: a dictionary of the family names of the United Kingdom