Holding steady, #13,208 for girls today.
Popularity of Bernadine since 1882
Babies named Bernadine per year in U.S. Social Security records. Raw births topped out in 1924, but relative to how few babies were recorded back then, Bernadine's real moment was 1931.
Data table (by decade)
| Decade | Girls |
|---|---|
| 1880s | 70 |
| 1890s | 181 |
| 1900s | 626 |
| 1910s | 2,932 |
| 1920s | 5,227 |
| 1930s | 4,256 |
| 1940s | 3,184 |
| 1950s | 2,776 |
| 1960s | 1,794 |
| 1970s | 477 |
| 1980s | 170 |
| 1990s | 112 |
| 2000s | 68 |
| 2010s | 37 |
| 2020s | 23 |
Meaning & origin
The name Bernadine reached its peak popularity in 1931, when it ranked among the top 400 names for girls. Since then, it has steadily declined and is now exceptionally rare, given to only about 1 in 267,878 girls in 2025. Despite its rarity, Bernadine has a strong, traditional sound tied to its Germanic roots, meaning 'bear-brave.' The name has remained stable in usage in recent decades, neither surging nor vanishing entirely. It has not been associated with any particular region or state in recent years.
Bernadine is a feminine form of Bernard, from the Germanic elements bern 'bear' and hard 'brave, hardy'. The name entered English through French, where Bernard was brought by the Normans. Bernadine emerged as a distinct feminine variant in the 19th century, likely influenced by the Italian and Spanish feminine forms Bernardina.
Where Bernadine is most popular
Births per 100,000 girls by state. Press play or drag the slider to watch it move across the decades. The lightest shade means too few recorded births.
Nicknames & variants
Nicknames: Bernie, Bern, Dina, Deenie
Variants: Bernadina, Bernardina, Bernardine
Sibling names for Bernadine
Names that share Bernadine's style, for a brother or sister.
