Bernie

Bernie is an English familiar form of Bernard, a name of Old High German origin composed of the elements bern, meaning bear, and hard, meaning brave or strong, giving the overall sense of bold as a bear. The name was carried into widespread use across medieval Europe largely through the influence of Saint Bernard of Clairvaux, the twelfth-century French abbot and theologian. Bernie functions as both a pet form and an independent given name and is used for people of any gender, though it remains more common for males. Related forms include Bernard, Bernhard, Bernadette, and Bern.