Berend

Berend is a Dutch given name derived from the Old High German elements bern, meaning bear, and hard, meaning brave, hardy, or strong, yielding an overall sense of bear-strong or bold as a bear. It is the Dutch and Low German form of the broader Germanic name that also appears in English as Bernard, in French as Bernard, and in Spanish and Italian as Bernardo. The name was borne by several medieval saints, most notably Bernard of Clairvaux, the influential twelfth-century French abbot and theologian, which helped spread forms of the name across Europe. Related forms include Bernhard in German and Scandinavian traditions and Bernardus in Latin.