The Bernhardts Family Name

Bernhardts is best understood alongside Bernhardt: both are German spellings of a single family name. Surname dictionaries give the meaning as “from the name Bernhard”.

Heraldry and the Bernhardts name

Heraldry is personal: arms associated with the Bernhardt surname were borne by specific families, and sharing the name does not mean sharing the blazon.

How the spelling arose

The extra ending in Bernhardts is patronymic: it identified a person as belonging to Bernhardt's family. The same family of names includes Bernardt, Bernhard and Berhardt.

Get the complete Bernhardts report, with a museum-style coat of arms.