Berna

♀ Girl

How to Pronounce Berna

Pronounced BUR-nuh /ˈbɜr.nə/Medium

Meaning: Berna is a clipped form of longer Bern- names - Bernice, from Greek Berenike, 'bringer of victory,' and Bernadette, from Germanic bern, 'bear,' so 'brave/strong as a bear.' Given on its own, it inherits either parent's meaning depending on the family.Low

In 30 seconds: Berna is a trim short form of Bernice or Bernadette, 'bringer of victory' or 'brave as a bear', said BUR-nuh, a compact early-twentieth-century name.

💕 Browse more names

Origin LowGreek, Germanic

MeaningBerna is a clipped form of longer Bern- names - Bernice, from Greek Berenike, 'bringer of victory,' and Bernadette, from Germanic bern, 'bear,' so 'brave/strong as a bear.' Given on its own, it inherits either parent's meaning depending on the family.

U.S. rank (1991)#13390 ↘ Falling

1991 U.S. births5 girls (0.00% of U.S. girls)

Peak year1929

Total births (all-time)≈ 1,466

Popularity in the U.S. · SSA data

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

Berna is the short, everyday face of the Bern- family. Behind it stand Bernice (Greek Berenike, 'she who brings victory') and Bernadette (from Germanic bern, 'bear'), both stylish in the early twentieth century. Clipped to two syllables, Berna became a birth name in its own right.

Its arc runs from the eighteen-nineties into the late twentieth century, cresting around the nineteen-twenties when Bernice was at its height, and always uncommon at only a few dozen births in a peak year. It reads as a snug, old-fashioned nickname-name.

Did you know? Berna rode the same early-1900s wave that made Bernice a top-ten name, standing in as the shorter, homier version of the fashionable Bern- names.

Overall data confidence 50%

SSA national given-name data — arc 1895-1991, peak 1929Behind the Name - Bernice/Bernadette — parent name etymologies

Variations

BerniceBernadineBernadette

Nicknames

BernBernie

Famous Bearers

Famous bearers coming soon.

If you like Berna…

Bernice— a full parent name

Berta— a same-era short vintage name

Verna— a close rhyming vintage name

Alma— another compact old-fashioned name

Explore names like Berna

By themevintage greek nickname

All themes →All meanings →All origins →

Frequently Asked

What does the name Berna mean?

Berna is a short form of Bernice ('bringer of victory,' Greek) or Bernadette ('brave as a bear,' Germanic).

How do you pronounce Berna?

It's said BUR-nuh /ˈbɜr.nə/ — two syllables, stress on the first.

Is Berna a boy or girl name?

Berna is used as a girl's name.

How popular is Berna?

Berna was always uncommon, given to only a few dozen girls a year around its early-twentieth-century peak, when Bernice was fashionable.