Bernhardt History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Germany
Portugal

The Portuguese surname Bernhardt is of patronymic origin, derived from the first name of the father and literally meant "(son) of Bernard". The forename Bernhard is an old German name composed of the elements "ber(n)" which means "bear" and "hard" which means "brave, strong, courageous."

Its popularity as a Christian name is largely due to the two saints of this name, St. Bernard of Menthon (d.1081), popularly known as the patron saint of mountaineers, who founded the Alpine hospices and whose name has been given to the dogs used to look for lost travelers, and the French St. Bernard of Clairvaux (c. 1090-1153), churchman and mystic who became the most powerful influence in France, and later, in all Western Europe.

Early Origins of the Bernhardt family

The surname Bernhardt was first found in Portugal where "a family so-called of nobles existed already in time of Kings D. Afonso V and D. Joao II, living in Ponte from Lima. Many were Minho nobility and a branch of Bernardes de Obidos, and Heitor Bernardes Botado, people of great value and great spirits, including Manso de Lima, who was a warrior genius; he went to serve the Emperor Charles V. He returned to Portugal and, getting married, gave rise to Bernardes Botados." 1

Early History of the Bernhardt family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Bernhardt research. Another 102 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1008, 1010, 1091, 1153, 1346, 1438, 1481, 1530, 1578, 1596, 1644 and 1743 are included under the topic Early Bernhardt History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Bernhardt Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Bernardo, Bernardes, Bernardi, Bernardino, Bernhard, Bernhardt, Bernhart, Barnhard, Barnhardt and many more.

Early Notables of the Bernhardt family

Prominent members of the family include Guillermo Bernardo held the title of Duke of Gascua and was a son of Guillermo Sancho, who died in 1010. Oliver Bernardo held the office of Bishop of Barcelona in the mid 4th century, and was sent to the diocese of Tortosa by order of Pope Clement VI in 1346. Jesús Maria Bernardo was a member of the Carmelite order and prior of the...
Another 69 words (5 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Bernhardt Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Bernhardt Ranking

In the United States, the name Bernhardt is the 4,733^rd most popular surname with an estimated 7,461 people with that name. 2 However, in France, the name Bernhardt is ranked the 8,781^st most popular surname with an estimated 500 - 1,000 people with that name. 3

Bernhardt migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Bernhardt Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Johann Jost Bernhardt, who arrived in New York, NY in 1710 4
Johannes Bernhardt, who arrived in New York, NY in 1710 4
Ulrich Bernhardt, who arrived in New York, NY in 1710 4
Hans Bernhardt, who arrived in Carolina in 1734 4
Verena Bernhardt, who arrived in Carolina in 1743 4
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Bernhardt Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Mrs. Elisabeth Bernhardt, aged 54, German who arrived in Galveston, Texas in 1845 aboard the ship "Herschel"
Miss Mona Bernhardt, aged 6, German who arrived in Galveston, Texas in 1845 aboard the ship "Herschel"
James Bernhardt, who landed in Indiana in 1852 4
Mathias Bernhardt, aged 16, who arrived in New York in 1854 4
Wilh Bernhardt, who landed in America in 1854 4
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Bernhardt Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

Gustave Bernhardt, who landed in Arkansas in 1904 4

Contemporary Notables of the name Bernhardt (post 1700) +

Warren Bernhardt (1938-2022), American pianist in jazz, pop and classical music
Robert "Bob" Bernhardt, American conductor, Principal Pops Conductor of the Louisville Orchestra
Clyde E.B. Bernhardt (1905-1986), American jazz trombonist
Curtis Bernhardt (1899-1981), German-born, American director and screenwriter who was forced to flee the Nazi regime in 1933
Melvin Bernhardt (1931-2015), American multiple Obie Award winning and Daytime Emmy Award nominated stage and television director
Katherine Bernhardt (b. 1975), American artist
Rudolf Bernhardt (1925-2021), German jurist who represented Germany on the European Court of Human Rights from 1981 to 1998 and served as President of the Court from 24 March to 31 October 1998
Timothy John "Tim" Bernhardt (b. 1958), Canadian retired professional NHL ice hockey goalkeeper
Patrick Bernhardt (b. 1971), German auto racing driver
Juan Ramón Bernhardt Coradin (b. 1953), Dominican retired Major League Baseball player who played from 1976 to 1979
... (Another 7 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Citations +

De Faria, Antonio Machado. Armorial lusitano: genealogia e heráldica. Lisboa, 1961. Print
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
http://www.journaldesfemmes.com/nom-de-famille/nom/
Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)