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Bernal

♂ Boy

How to Pronounce Bernal

Pronounced bur-NAL /bɜːrˈnɑːl/Medium

Meaning: Bernal is a Spanish name from the medieval Bernal, a form of Bernard, which comes from the Germanic bern, 'bear,' and hard, 'brave, hardy.' It carries the meaning 'brave as a bear' and has long served as both a surname and a given name in Hispanic families.Medium

In 30 seconds: Bernal is a Spanish form of Bernard, Germanic for 'brave as a bear.' It reached US records early and stayed rare, peaking in the nineteen-teens (said bur-NAL).

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Origin MediumSpanish, Germanic

MeaningBernal is a Spanish name from the medieval Bernal, a form of Bernard, which comes from the Germanic bern, 'bear,' and hard, 'brave, hardy.' It carries the meaning 'brave as a bear' and has long served as both a surname and a given name in Hispanic families.

U.S. rank (1969)#4464 ↘ Falling

1969 U.S. births5 boys (0.00% of U.S. boys)

Peak year1918

Total births (all-time)≈ 190

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

Bernal is a Spanish name derived from Bernard, from the Germanic elements bern, 'bear,' and hard, 'brave.' Long established as a surname and first name in the Spanish-speaking world, it appears in early US records among Hispanic families.

Bernal was never common, given to only about twenty boys a year even at its peak in the nineteen-teens. A boy named Bernal then would be a great-grandfather today.

Did you know? Bernal was the name of the Spanish chronicler Bernal Diaz del Castillo, who wrote a famous eyewitness account of the conquest of Mexico.

Overall data confidence 55%

References - Bernal — Spanish form of Bernard; Germanic bern-hard 'brave as a bear'

Variations

BernardoBernabeBernaldo

Nicknames

BernNal

Famous Bearers

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If you like Bernal…

Bernardo— the fuller Spanish form of Bernard

Fernando— a like Spanish boy's name of the era

Bernabe— shares the Bern- opening

Gonzalo— another classic Hispanic boy's name

Explore names like Bernal

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Frequently Asked

What does the name Bernal mean?

It is a Spanish form of Bernard, from the Germanic bern, 'bear,' and hard, 'brave' - 'brave as a bear.'

How do you pronounce Bernal?

It is said bur-NAL /bɜːrˈnɑːl/, two syllables with the stress on the second.

Is Bernal a boy or girl name?

Bernal is used as a boy's name.

How popular is Bernal?

It has always been rare, given to only about twenty boys a year even at its peak in the nineteen-teens.