Bernice History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
History reveals the roots of the Bernice family name in the ancient Strathclyde people of the Scottish/English Borderlands. It is derived from the personal name Burnhouse, derived from the words burn, meaning "stream," and house, meaning a house.
Early Origins of the Bernice family
The surname Bernice was first found in Cumberland, where they held a family seat from very ancient times, some say well before the Norman Conquest and the arrival of Duke William at Hastings in 1066 A.D.
Early History of the Bernice family
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Bernice research. Another 138 words (10 lines of text) covering the years 1296, 1495 and 1560 are included under the topic Early Bernice History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Bernice Spelling Variations
Scribes in Medieval Scotland spelled names by sound rather than any set of rules, so an enormous number of spelling variations exist in names of that era. Bernice has been spelled Burness, Burnes, Burnace, Burnice, Burnhouse, Burnshead, Burnish, Burnist, Bernis and many more.
Early Notables of the Bernice family
More information is included under the topic Early Bernice Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Migration of the Bernice family to Ireland
Some of the Bernice family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt. More information about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Bernice migration to the United States +
The number of Strathclyde Clan families sailing for North America increased steadily as the persecution continued. In the colonies, they could find not only freedom from the iron hand of the English government, but land to settle on. The American War of Independence allowed many of these settlers to prove their independence, while some chose to go to Canada as United Empire Loyalists. Scots played essential roles in the forging of both great nations. Among them:
Bernice Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
- Bernardo Bernice, who landed in Mobile, Ala in 1859 1
- Christipher Bernice, aged 48, who arrived in New York, NY in 1861 1
Contemporary Notables of the name Bernice (post 1700) +
- Eddie Bernice Johnson (1935-2023), American politician, Chair of the House Science Committee (2019-2023), Member of the U.S. House of Representatives (1993-2023)
- Pauline Bernice Bart (1930-2021), née Lackow, an American sociologist who studied gender inequality, violence against women, and women's development
- Betty Bernice Lennox (b. 1976), American former professional basketball player
- Stella Bernice Haines (1876-1963), American Republican politician, Member of Kansas State House of Representatives, 1926-30; Delegate to Republican National Convention from Kansas, 1928, 1940 (alternate) 2
- Bernice Steadman (1925-2015), American professional aviator and businesswoman, one of the Mercury 13
- Mrs. Bernice Pearlman B.E.M., British recipient of the British Empire Medal on 8th June 2018, for services to the community in Leeds, West Yorkshire
- Bernice Resnick "Bunny" Sandler (1928-2019), American women's rights activist from New York, inducted into the Maryland Women's Hall of Fame in 2010, and the National Women's Hall of Fame in 2013
- Bernice Brown Cronkhite (1893-1983), American academic and educator, former dean of Radcliffe College
- Bernice Covill, American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Illinois, 1980 3
- Bernice Diskin, American politician, Candidate for Presidential Elector for California, 1972 4
The Bernice Motto +
The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.
Motto: Perseverantia vincit
Motto Translation: Perseverance conquers
Citations +
- 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)
- The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, October 20) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
- The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2016, May 19) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
- The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2016, January 25) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html