UK boy's name
Benard
Strong or brave as a bear, derived from the Germanic elements "bern" (bear) and "hard" (hardy).
For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2007. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.
Benard is a boy's name in the UK records. People looking for Benard popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2007 in this profile. In that release it ranked #3589, with 4 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2007, with 4 births.
This profile covers 7 England and Wales registrations across 2 recorded years from 2006 to 2007. The figures come from ONS England and Wales, so the page is a view of published baby-name registrations rather than a forecast or a live count of people using the name today.
Benard is at its recorded peak in the England and Wales series.
We estimate that about 7 living people in the UK are called Benard. This uses published birth registrations from England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, then applies ONS national life tables to estimate how many are likely still alive. It does not forecast extra births for 2008 or 2026.
Key insights
- • Benard ranked #3589 for boys in England and Wales in 2007, with 4 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 2007, when 4 boys were registered as Benard.
- • About 7 living people in the UK are estimated to have Benard as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
Latest rank (E&W)
#3589
2007
Births in 2007
4
Latest year
Peak year
2007
4 births
Estimated living
7
2026
Meaning
What does Benard mean?
The name Benard is derived from the Germanic name Bernard, which itself has its origins in the Frankish Burgundian name Bernhard. This name was composed of the elements "bern" meaning "bear" and "hard" meaning "brave" or "hardy". Thus, the original meaning of the name Benard is "brave as a bear".
The name Bernard was popularized in the Middle Ages by several saints and rulers who bore the name, including St. Bernard of Clairvaux (1090-1153), a renowned French abbot and theologian. Another notable bearer was Bernard of Menthon (923-1008), who founded hospices in the Alps to aid travelers.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Benard dates back to the 9th century, when a Frankish nobleman named Bernhard was mentioned in the Annals of Fulda, a medieval chronicle. In the 11th century, a Benedictine monk named Benard of Arles was known for his writings on monastic life.
Throughout history, several notable figures have borne the name Benard. These include Benard de Ventadour (1135-1195), a French troubadour and composer, and Benard of Trilia (1240-1292), an Italian philosopher and theologian who studied under St. Thomas Aquinas.
In the 15th century, Benard Palissy (1510-1590) was a French potter and naturalist known for his contributions to the development of ceramics. Benard Nieuwentyt (1654-1718) was a Dutch mathematician and philosopher, best known for his work on natural theology.
Another prominent bearer of the name was Benard Renault (1836-1919), a French industrialist and the founder of the Renault automobile company. Renault's innovative designs and mass production techniques helped to revolutionize the automotive industry.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Benard over time
The chart below shows babies named Benard registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 2006 to 2007. Empty years are left out so rare names are not stretched across long periods where the published files do not show any registrations.
For Benard, the clearest high point is 2007. The latest England and Wales figure is 4 births in 2007, compared with 4 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Benard by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Benard was a short-lived spike or a name that stayed in regular use. Average rank is calculated only from years where a published rank exists.
| Decade | Average rank | Total births | Years covered |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | #3821 | 7 | 2 |
Related
Names similar to Benard
- Benjamin 90,412
- Ben 36,356
- Bradley 30,230
- Brandon 26,411
- Billy 18,608
- Bobby 16,904
- Blake 16,337
- Bailey 16,014
- Brody 7,230
- Beau 6,722
- Barnaby 5,284
- Brodie 4,801
FAQ
Benard: questions and answers
How popular is the name Benard in the UK right now?
In 2007, Benard was ranked #3589 for boys in England and Wales, with 4 births registered.
When was Benard most popular?
The peak year on record was 2007, with 4 babies registered as Benard in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Benard?
Strong or brave as a bear, derived from the Germanic elements "bern" (bear) and "hard" (hardy).
How many people are called Benard in the UK?
A total of 7 babies have been registered as Benard across the 2 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here.
Which records is this page based on?
The England and Wales timeline uses ONS baby-name records. Scotland figures come from NRS and Northern Ireland figures come from NISRA. Counts are registrations in published baby-name files. The living estimate uses those birth registrations with ONS national life tables.