Total births
200,087
Boys' name · since 1880
Bernard
200,087 babies named Bernard in U.S. Social Security records since 1880, with the highest year being 1924. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.
- #1318
- among boys today
- 200,087
- born since 1880
- 1920s
- peak decade
- 91%
- more common than other boys
200,087 babies have been named Bernard since 1880, making it today's #1318 boys' name.
Social Security Administration records show Bernard recorded 200,087 times among boys since 1880, holding rank #1318 nationally today, ahead of 91% of boys, peaking in the 1920s. This profile derives year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1880 to 2025.
- #1318 among boys today
- 200,087 born since 1880
- 1920s peak decade
- 91% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Bernard is currently the #1318 boys' name in America, more common than 91% of boys - 200,087 born since 1880, peaking in the 1920s.
- #1318
- among boys today
- 200,087
- born since 1880
- 1920s
- peak decade
- 91%
- more common than other boys
Bernard vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#1318
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 91% of names given to boys today.
1920s
Peak decade
21% of everyone ever named Bernard was born in this single decade.
1924
Single peak year
4,505 babies were named Bernard in 1924 - its busiest year on record.
How Bernard compares
200,087 Top 1% higher than 99% of 14,294 names currently given to boys
Based on all-time total births among currently-ranked boys names. Names with fewer occurrences are grouped into wider buckets on the right.
Source U.S. Social Security Administration, national baby name data
How the numbers stack up
Bernard's all-time total is 545x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Bernard | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 200,087 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 4,505 | 23 | 22,252 |
Bernard's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Divide Bernard's SSA record in two at 1953 and the more recent half accounts for 30% of all births, the earlier half the remaining 70%, consistent with a name more common in the past than in recent years. Its calmest year was 2023, with only 122 births recorded -- set against the 1924 peak of 4,505, that's the full swing in one name's fortunes.
Bernard at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
1924
Current rank
#1,318
Active since
1880
Bernard popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1880–2025
- Peak year (1924)
- 4,505
- Annual births at peak, across 146 years of records
Bernard popularity over time - girls
983 total births recorded since 1897 (Bernard as girls' name)
Bernard by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1920s was Bernard's strongest decade.
42,408 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 21% of all-time use.
Bernard births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 1,616
1880s
1,616 births
- 1890s 2,315
1890s
2,315 births
- 1900s 3,296
1900s
3,296 births
- 1910s
1910s
25,628 births
- 1920s
1920s
42,408 births
- 1930s
1930s
30,545 births
- 1940s
1940s
26,446 births
- 1950s
1950s
25,887 births
- 1960s
1960s
17,475 births
- 1970s 9,100
1970s
9,100 births
- 1980s 6,507
1980s
6,507 births
- 1990s 4,159
1990s
4,159 births
- 2000s 2,252
2000s
2,252 births
- 2010s 1,608
2010s
1,608 births
- 2020s 845
2020s
845 births
What this shows Peak: 1920s at 42,408 births (21% of all-time use).
How Bernard compares to similarly-sized names
Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 boys names closest to Bernard's total volume
Bernard vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Bernard by state
Where Bernard concentrates geographically, total births since 1880
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | New York | | 29,920 | 15.0% |
| #2 | Pennsylvania | | 20,696 | 10.3% |
| #3 | Illinois | | 12,937 | 6.5% |
| #4 | Michigan | | 10,019 | 5.0% |
| #5 | Ohio | | 9,482 | 4.7% |
| #6 | Massachusetts | | 7,501 | 3.7% |
| #7 | New Jersey | | 6,608 | 3.3% |
| #8 | California | | 6,140 | 3.1% |
New York share of Bernard's total US births 15.0%
Even split
29,920 of 200,087 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 51 reporting states.
Bernard appears in 51 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Bernard? ▼
Bernard has been given to 200,087 babies in the U.S. since 1880, according to SSA data. Among boys, it ranks #1318 as of the latest data. 4,505 babies were born in 1924, its single highest year.
When was Bernard most popular? ▼
Bernard was most popular in the 1920s decade with 42,408 total births. The single peak year was 1924.
Where is Bernard most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Bernard are New York (29,920 births), Pennsylvania (20,696 births), Illinois (12,937 births).
How long has the name Bernard been used? ▼
Bernard has been recorded in Social Security data since 1880, spanning 146 years of data through 2025.
What names are similar to Bernard? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Bert, Bernardo, Bernie, Bertram, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Bernard's data
- Bernard's decade-level peak was the 1920s (42,408 total births); usage has since declined to 845 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- New York records the most Bernards (29,920 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. New York names
- Weighing it against an alternative? Put two names side by side. Compare names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Bernard
Nearby Names Like Bernard
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Bernard
Bert Boy
#8312 33,585 births
Bernardo Boy
#1342 11,175 births
Bernie Boy
#5454 9,225 births
Bertram Boy
#7766 7,955 births
Berry Boy
#7765 5,737 births
Compare Bernard side by side: Bernard vs Bert Bernard vs Bernardo Bernard vs Bernie
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Bernard
Kross #1317
1,557 births · Peak 2022
Harris #1319
16,472 births · Peak 1921
Deon #1316
15,318 births · Peak 1994
Rayyan #1320
3,221 births · Peak 2025
Osvaldo #1315
14,526 births · Peak 2004
Jerome #1321
161,234 births · Peak 1954
Renzo #1314
2,690 births · Peak 2024
Jacoby #1322
11,161 births · Peak 2008
Data Sources
Data as of June 2026. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA).
According to the Social Security Administration, this profile draws directly from the agency's public-use baby-name files (updated June 2026). See our methodology for the full extraction, aggregation, and privacy-suppression rules.
Primary: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names from Social Security Card Applications, National Data, 1880–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Bernard: #1318 Boys' Name - 200,087 Births, Peak 1924." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/bernard. Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Name Almanac is rendered directly from the Social Security Administration's public baby-name files, no number is typed in by an editor. This profile for Bernard draws directly on SSA national and state-level files, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.