Bernard Bear Cartoons AnimationsThe masculine given name Bernard has a German origin, but was early adopted in France also. The meaning of the name is from an Old German compound meaning "bear-hardy", or "brave as a bear". St Bernard of Menthon is the patron saint of mountaineers after whom the St Bernard dog used in mountain rescue work is named. It is very uncommonly used for German children[citation needed], and other languages have variants. The feminine given name from the same cognate is Bernadine. Nicknames include Barney (masculine), Bernie (unisex), and Bern (masculine). Bernard is also a common surname.