Find out how popular the last name Bernardin is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Bernardin.

Bernardin, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Bernardin surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Bernardin in America

Bernardin is the 37646th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Bernardin surname appeared 591 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Bernardin.

We can also compare 2010 data for Bernardin to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Bernardin

The surname Bernardin originated in France during the Middle Ages. It is derived from the medieval personal name Bernard, which comes from the Germanic words "bern" meaning "bear" and "hard" meaning "brave" or "hardy". The name likely referred to someone with a brave or hardy nature, akin to a bear.

The earliest known record of the name Bernardin dates back to the 12th century, when it appeared in the ancient records of Normandy, France. During this time, many people adopted hereditary surnames based on personal characteristics, occupations, or places of origin.

In the 13th century, the name Bernardin was found in the Domesday Book, a renowned medieval census commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. This document recorded landowners and their holdings in England, suggesting that some individuals with the surname Bernardin were among the Norman aristocracy who accompanied William during the Norman Conquest.

One of the earliest known bearers of the name Bernardin was Jehan Bernardin, a French nobleman who lived in the late 14th century. He was a prominent figure in the court of King Charles VI of France.

Another notable person with the surname Bernardin was Saint Bernardin of Siena (1380-1444), an Italian Franciscan friar and preacher who was canonized by the Catholic Church in 1450. He is widely revered for his eloquent sermons and his dedication to promoting the veneration of the Holy Name of Jesus.

In the 16th century, the Bernardin family established themselves as influential landowners in the Burgundy region of France. One member of this family, Jacques Bernardin (1520-1598), was a renowned lawyer and magistrate who served as the President of the Parlement of Dijon.

The surname Bernardin also found its way to England, where it was sometimes anglicized to Barnardine or Barnarden. One notable English bearer of the name was Sir Nathaniel Barnardiston (1588-1653), a Member of Parliament and a supporter of the Parliamentary cause during the English Civil War.

In the 18th century, a French military officer named Jean-Baptiste Bernardin (1715-1789) gained fame for his expedition to Mauritius and his writings on natural history. He is best known for his novel "Paul et Virginie", a classic work of French literature.

As the surname Bernardin spread across Europe and beyond, it underwent various spelling variations, such as Bernardin, Bernardino, Bernardini, and Bernardine. These variations reflect the linguistic and cultural influences of different regions where the name was adopted.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Bernardin

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Bernardin.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Bernardin was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Bernardin has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Bernardin was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Bernardin, please contact us.

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