Boy's name

Bearnárd

“BAR-nard”

from Frankish Bernhard, 'strong bear' or 'brave warrior'

Bernard

Source: Woulfe, Irish Names and Surnames (1923) ↗

The story behind the name

St Bernard of Clairvaux made it universal in Europe. The Anglo-Normans brought it to Ireland, and later, Woulfe says, it was used as an English stand-in for the native Brian.

Quick answers

How do you pronounce Bearnárd?

Bearnárd is pronounced “BAR-nard”. Irish has three main dialect groups (Ulster, Connacht and Munster) and many names are said differently in each. The respellings here give the pronunciation most commonly heard in Irish English; where a well-known variant exists, both are shown.

What does the name Bearnárd mean?

Bearnárd means from Frankish Bernhard, 'strong bear' or 'brave warrior'.

Is Bearnárd a boy's or a girl's name?

Bearnárd is traditionally a boy's name in Ireland.

How else is Bearnárd spelled?

Other spellings and equivalents include Bernard. Irish names were written down by English-speaking clerks for centuries, which is why so many spellings survive for one name.

Related names

Bearach Bearchán

Meanings follow Ó Corráin & Maguire's Irish Names and Woulfe; pronunciations give the commonest Irish-English form. Know this name better — a dialect pronunciation, a family tradition? Tell us. · All Irish names A–Z