Holding steady.
Popularity of Bernis since 1912
Babies named Bernis per year in U.S. Social Security records. Raw births topped out in 1927, but relative to how few babies were recorded back then, Bernis's real moment was 1912.
Data table (by decade)
| Decade | Girls | Boys |
|---|---|---|
| 1910s | 17 | 80 |
| 1920s | 56 | 118 |
| 1930s | 22 | 85 |
| 1940s | 12 | 54 |
| 1950s | 0 | 59 |
| 1960s | 0 | 27 |
| 1970s | 0 | 5 |
| 1980s | 0 | 0 |
| 1990s | 0 | 0 |
| 2000s | 0 | 0 |
| 2010s | 0 | 0 |
| 2020s | 0 | 0 |
Meaning & origin
Bernis is an exceedingly rare name that first appeared in U.S. birth records in 1912, its peak year, but has never achieved significant popularity. The name's trajectory has remained stable, meaning it has persisted at very low levels of usage without major fluctuations. Because Bernis is so uncommon, no top states are associated with it, and it does not have a 1-in-N statistic for recent years. It likely originated as a variant spelling of Bernice or a feminine form of Bernie, making it part of a cluster of early 20th-century names ending in -is or -ice. Despite its obscurity, Bernis exemplifies the period's creative naming patterns for girls, though its unisex usage remains marginal.
Bernis is a rare name that likely arose as a variant spelling of Bernice or as a feminine form of Bernie, a diminutive of Bernard or names beginning with Bern- (from Germanic 'ber' meaning 'bear' + 'hard' meaning 'brave, hardy'). It was first recorded in the United States in 1912, during a period when names like Bernice enjoyed moderate popularity. Bernis has never been common, with minimal usage since its initial year.
Nicknames & variants
Nicknames: Bernie
Sibling names for Bernis
Names that share Bernis's style, for a brother or sister.
