Bernardi Surname: Origin and Coat of Arms
What does Bernardi mean, and where does it come from? Here is a brief introduction.
Order your pack and our heraldry team researches and paints the Bernardi coat of arms for you.
Origin of the Bernardi name
Bernardi is a patronymic from the given name Bernardo, from Germanic bern, "bear", and hard, "hardy, brave". The cult of Saint Bernard of Clairvaux made the name popular across medieval Italy. The plural -i ending, meaning "of the Bernardo family", is typical of northern and central Italy, where the surname is most common.
Our historical archives hold much more on the Bernardi name: dates, names and records of early bearers.
This overview covers the Bernardi name in Italy. We also hold records of the name in other countries, such as France, Argentina and the United States; your full pack is researched for your family's country of origin.
Get your full Bernardi family history
Your full Bernardi pack adds the researched history, early records and migration. Order your pack and our heraldry team researches and paints the Bernardi coat of arms for you.
Bernardi name FAQ
What does the Bernardi name mean?
Son of Bernardo ("brave as a bear"). Common variants include Bernardo, Bernardini, Bernard.
Where does the Bernardi surname come from?
It originates in Italy, and is also found in France, Argentina and the United States.
Is there a Bernardi coat of arms?
Arms were granted to individuals, not whole surnames, so there is no single Bernardi crest. Herald Lab paints a personalized Bernardi coat of arms based on historic heraldry.
Researched by Herald Lab Research Studio, since 1993. Sources: De Felice, Dizionario dei cognomi italiani; Caffarelli & Marcato, I cognomi d'Italia; Dictionary of American Family Names (Oxford).