Bernard, of Germanic origin, is derived from the Old German elements "bern" meaning 'bear' and "hard" signifying 'brave'. The name gained prominence during the Middle Ages due to its popularity among French nobility. It was borne by several notable figures throughout history, including Bernard of Clairvaux, a prominent Cistercian monk and mystic in the 12th century, and composer Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky's pseudonym 'Tschaikowsky', derived from his German form of the name. In its various forms such as Barnard, Bernhardt, Bernhart, Bernardino, and Bernardini, this name has been widely adopted across cultures.
"From the provided statistics, it seems that the name Barnard experienced its peak popularity between 1912 and 1925, with a high of 23 births in 1925. After this period, there was a steady decline until reaching single digits again from the mid-1970s onwards. The total number of births with the name Barnard over these years is 895."