Recent in Baby
When Baby Resists SolidsWhen Baby Resists SolidsBaby Biting TipsBaby Biting Tips5 Tips To Help Prevent Highchair Injuries5 Tips To Help Prevent Highchair InjuriesWhen Baby and Pet MeetWhen Baby and Pet MeetTreatments for ColicTreatments for ColicBaby Milestones – The First YearBaby Milestones – The First YearTips for Relieving Teething PainTips for Relieving Teething PainBenefits of Making Your Own Baby FoodBenefits of Making Your Own Baby Food

Home › Baby Names Directory › Bernis

Bernis

♂ Boy

How to Pronounce Bernis

Pronounced BUR-nis /ˈbɜr.nɪs/Medium

Meaning: Bernis is a rare early-American name, here given to boys. It most likely reflects a masculine use or respelling of Berniece/Bernice, from the Greek Pherenike, 'bringer of victory,' or a short form of Bernard, 'brave as a bear.' The route is uncertain.Low

In 30 seconds: Bernis is a rare boys' name, likely from Bernice ('bringer of victory') or short for Bernard. Routes uncertain (said BUR-nis).
💕 Browse more names
Origin LowEnglish, Greek
MeaningBernis is a rare early-American name, here given to boys. It most likely reflects a masculine use or respelling of Berniece/Bernice, from the Greek Pherenike, 'bringer of victory,' or a short form of Bernard, 'brave as a bear.' The route is uncertain.
U.S. rank (1973)#5175 ↘ Falling
1973 U.S. births5 boys (0.00% of U.S. boys)
Peak year1927
Total births (all-time)≈ 428

Popularity in the U.S. · SSA data

peak 192719121973

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

Bernis appears in United States records from around 1912, a rare name here borne by boys. It most plausibly reflects a masculine use of Berniece or Bernice, from the Greek Pherenike, 'bringer of victory,' or a clipped form of Bernard. The route is uncertain. It was never common, given to only a couple dozen boys a year at its late-1920s high.

A man named Bernis then would be a great-grandfather today, and the name reads as a rural, early-century one. It has not revived, and its origin stays genuinely uncertain rather than overstated.

Did you know? Bernis crosses the usual line: it echoes Bernice, a mostly female name meaning 'bringer of victory,' yet in these records it was given to boys, sometimes as a cousin of Bernard.
Overall data confidence 30%
References - Bernis — Boys' use of Bernice/Bernard; Greek 'bringer of victory'; uncertain

Variations

BernieceBerniceBernie

Nicknames

BernBernie

Famous Bearers

  • Famous bearers coming soon.

If you like Bernis…

Bernie— a like short Bern- boys' name
Bernard— a likely parent name
Dennis— a same-era -is boys' name in sound
Curtis— another -is vintage boys' name

Explore names like Bernis

By themeuncertainrarevintagecross-sex

All themes →All meanings →All origins →

Frequently Asked

What does the name Bernis mean?

Its route is uncertain; it likely reflects Bernice, Greek for 'bringer of victory,' or a short form of Bernard.

How do you pronounce Bernis?

It's said BUR-nis /ˈbɜr.nɪs/, two syllables, stress on the first.

Is Bernis a boy or girl name?

Here Bernis is used as a boy's name, though the related Bernice is usually female.

How popular is Bernis?

It was always rare, an early-twentieth-century name given to only a couple dozen boys a year at its peak.

💬 Ask Nia