Bernal Surname Meaning & Origin
What the Bernal last name means, where the surname began and how it spread.
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Meaning and origin of the Bernal last name
Meaning of the Bernal last name: strong as a bear. Bernal is a Spanish surname from the medieval first name Bernal or Bernaldo, the Castilian form of Germanic Bernhard, "strong as a bear". The soldier-chronicler Bernal Díaz del Castillo shows the name in use. As a last name it is common in Spain, Colombia and Mexico.
Arms associated with the Bernal name
In Spain a coat of arms was tied to the family house, and heraldry associated with the Bernal surname follows that custom.
Get your full Bernal family history
This is only a glimpse of the Bernal story. The full Bernal history report goes much deeper into where the name began, who carried it and how the family spread, and it comes with a museum-style painted Bernal coat of arms. Get the full Bernal report.
Bernal name FAQ
What does the Bernal name mean?
Strong as a bear. Common variants include Bernaldo, Bernardo, Bernard.
Where does the Bernal surname come from?
It originates in Spain, and is also found in Colombia, Mexico and Spain.
Is there a Bernal coat of arms?
Arms were granted to individuals rather than to everyone with a surname. Herald Lab paints a personalized Bernal coat of arms in museum style, based on historic heraldry.
Sources: Roberto Faure, María Asunción Ribes & Antonio García, Diccionario de apellidos españoles (Espasa, 2001); Dictionary of American Family Names (Oxford).