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Home › Baby Names Directory › Berdine

Berdine

♀ Girl

How to Pronounce Berdine

Pronounced ber-DEEN /bɜrˈdiːn/Medium

Meaning: Berdine is a shortened variant of Bernardine or Berdina, ultimately a feminine form of Bernard, from Germanic bern, 'bear', and hard, 'brave, hardy', giving 'bold as a bear'. Its ber- opening also echoes the Germanic element berht, 'bright'. Either way it descends from the strong Germanic name-stock and reads as a soft -ine feminine of a bear-name.Low

In 30 seconds: Berdine is a variant of Bernardine, a feminine of Bernard meaning 'bold as a bear', used for American girls in the early twentieth century (said ber-DEEN).
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Origin LowGermanic, English
MeaningBerdine is a shortened variant of Bernardine or Berdina, ultimately a feminine form of Bernard, from Germanic bern, 'bear', and hard, 'brave, hardy', giving 'bold as a bear'. Its ber- opening also echoes the Germanic element berht, 'bright'. Either way it descends from the strong Germanic name-stock and reads as a soft -ine feminine of a bear-name.
U.S. rank (1974)#4052 ↗ Rising
1974 U.S. births15 girls (0.00% of U.S. girls)
Peak year1922
Total births (all-time)≈ 433

Popularity in the U.S. · SSA data

peak 192219131974

U.S. births per year (Social Security Administration, 1880–present). Pink marker = peak year.

SSA data updated May 2026. How we source & verify this data.

History & Origin

Berdine is a trimmed form of Bernardine, the feminine of Bernard, a saintly medieval name built from the Germanic words for 'bear' and 'brave'. The clipped ber-dine shape gives it a gentler -ine sound, and it may also draw on the Germanic 'bright' element berht; it kept quiet company with Bernadine and Berdina.

In United States records Berdine was always uncommon, drawing only a couple dozen girls a year even at its high around 1922 and fading by mid-century. A girl named Berdine then belongs to a great-grandmother's generation now, her name a soft feminine echo of the old bear-brave Bernard.

Did you know? Berdine's parent Bernard means 'bold as a bear', pairing the Germanic words for 'bear' and 'brave'.
Overall data confidence 40%
References - Berdine — Variant of Bernardine/Berdina; feminine of Bernard (Germanic 'bold as a bear'); assoc. berht 'bright'

Variations

BernardineBerdinaBernadine

Nicknames

BerdieDean

Famous Bearers

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If you like Berdine…

Bernadine— a close sister-form of the same Bernard name
Geraldine— a like Germanic-rooted -ine feminine
Bernice— another ber- girl's name of the era
Claudine— a rhyming old-fashioned -ine name

Explore names like Berdine

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Frequently Asked

What does the name Berdine mean?

It is a variant of Bernardine, a feminine of Bernard meaning 'bold as a bear', with a possible link to Germanic 'bright'.

How do you pronounce Berdine?

It's said ber-DEEN /bɜrˈdiːn/, two syllables, stress on the second.

Is Berdine a boy or girl name?

Berdine is used as a girl's name.

Is Berdine a popular name?

No, it was always rare, a variant of Bernardine that saw only faint use in the early twentieth century, around the nineteen-twenties.

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