Bernhard

Bernhard is the German spelling of Bernard, drawn from Germanic elements meaning "bear" and "brave" or "hardy." Saint Bernard of Clairvaux shaped medieval Christendom with it; a famous Alpine pass and the broad-shouldered rescue dogs that patrol it still carry his memory. The h tucked into the middle gives the German form a breath of formality the English version lacks, and the stress falls firmly on that first syllable: BERN-hard. It's a name for bookish boys who grow into steady men, common enough in Austria and Germany to feel lived-in, rare enough elsewhere to turn a head. Strong, considered, unshowy.