Bénard Surname Meaning & Origin
What the Bénard last name means, where the surname began and how it spread.
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Meaning and origin of the Bénard last name
Meaning of the Bénard last name: strong bear. Bénard is a French surname from a Germanic given name built on bern, "bear", and hard, "hardy", a variant of Bernard. It is common in Normandy, Picardy and on Réunion island. Related last names include Bernard, Besnard and Benard, all from the same name of Saint Bernard.
Arms associated with the Bénard name
In France a coat of arms was used by town families and merchants as well as knights, and heraldry associated with the Bénard name belongs to that wide tradition.
Get your full Bénard family history
This is only a glimpse of the Bénard story. The full Bénard 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 Bénard coat of arms. Get the full Bénard report.
Bénard name FAQ
What does the Bénard name mean?
Strong bear. Common variants include Bernard, Besnard.
Where does the Bénard surname come from?
It originates in France, and is also found in Canada, Belgium and Switzerland.
Is there a Bénard coat of arms?
Arms were granted to individuals rather than to everyone with a surname. Herald Lab paints a personalized Bénard coat of arms in museum style, based on historic heraldry.
Sources: Albert Dauzat, Dictionnaire étymologique des noms de famille et prénoms de France (Larousse); Marie-Thérèse Morlet, Dictionnaire étymologique des noms de famille (Perrin, 1991).