Berendina

Berendina is a Dutch feminine given name derived from the Germanic name Berend, itself composed of the elements bern, meaning bear, and hard, meaning brave or strong, yielding an overall sense of strong as a bear. It arose as a feminized form of Berend, the Dutch and Low German form of the older Germanic name Bernhard. The name has been used in the Netherlands since at least the early modern period, primarily in rural and Protestant communities. Related forms include Berend, Bernhard, and Bernardina.