| Bernard | Louis | |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | Bold as a bear | Famous warrior |
| Origin | germanic | germanic |
| Gender | Boy | Boy |
| Pronunciation | BUR-nard | LOO-ee |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| First appeared | 0 | 1880 |
| Peak year | 1924 (4,505) | 1921 (7,247) |
| In 2025 | 0 | 1,391 |
| Trend | Vintage | Rising |
Source: US Social Security Administration.
| Decade | Bernard | Louis |
|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 845 | 8,577 |
| 2010s | 1,608 | 11,815 |
| 2000s | 2,252 | 10,262 |
| 1990s | 4,159 | 14,436 |
| 1980s | 6,507 | 17,354 |
| 1970s | 9,100 | 20,145 |
| 1960s | 17,475 | 33,382 |
| 1950s | 25,887 | 47,933 |
| 1940s | 26,446 | 49,430 |
| 1930s | 30,545 | 47,754 |
| 1920s | 42,408 | 67,693 |
| 1910s | 25,628 | 50,600 |
| 1900s | 3,296 | 10,372 |
| 1890s | 2,315 | 8,442 |
| 1880s | 1,616 | 8,275 |
From Germanic 'bern' (bear) and 'hard' (brave, hardy), 'brave/strong as a bear' - the bear being a warrior symbol. Borne by several saints.
From the Frankish Hludwig, combining 'hlud' (famous, loud) with 'wig' (war, battle), hence 'famous in war'. Carried by 18 kings of France.
Louis is more popular than Bernard today: about 1,391 US babies were given the name Louis in 2025, compared with 0 named Bernard.
Bernard means Bold as a bear (germanic origin), while Louis means Famous warrior (germanic origin).
In US records, Bernard first appears in 0 and Louis in 1880, so Bernard has the longer recorded history.