BERENDS
Berends is a surname of Dutch or Germanic origin. It is generally understood to have derived from the personal name Berend, itself a variation of the Old Germanic name Bernard. The original meaning of Bernard is “brave bear”, composed of the elements bern (bear) and hard (brave, strong or hardy).
The earliest recorded forms of the surname appear in the 12th century in England, where it was noted in the Pipe Rolls of Lincoln in 1130 under the spelling Hugo Bernard. In the 13th and 14th centuries further examples include Thomas Bernhard of Cambridge in 1260 and Albertus Berenhardus of Schwenningen in 1290. The name was also found in various Germanic regions during the 16th century, for instance Gregorius Bernhardt christened in Chemnitz in 1549.
Within the Netherlands the surname is almost exclusively associated with the northern province of Friesland, where it is the most common surname today. Historical records from the 14th century record Berends in Friesland, and it remains heavily concentrated there. Outside Friesland it can be found in other parts of the Netherlands, as well as in Belgium, Denmark, Austria and Switzerland.
Variants of the name are widespread. Common forms include Berend, Berendsen, Berger, Berenssen, Beerends and Berens. In some German records the spelling Berentz or Berentzen occurs, and in Danish contexts a form such as Beerenfeldt may be seen. Misspellings such as Barthends or Beerendtz arise because of the similarity between the Dutch letters d and t.
The surname was carried by early settlers to the United States in the late nineteenth century, with the first arrivals recorded in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Subsequent migrations placed members of the family in New York, Pennsylvania and Iowa, and today the name remains common in the Midwest, particularly Ohio, Michigan and Wisconsin.
In addition to its associations with the bear as a symbol of strength, the name was likely popularised in part by the fame of two saints: St. Bernard of Clairvaux (c. 1010‑1153) and St. Bernard of Menthon (923‑1108). Their reputations as pious leaders may have encouraged the adoption of a name meaning “brave bear” during the medieval period.
Despite its ancient origins, Berends does not appear to have diminished in use. Rough estimates place the total number of people bearing the surname worldwide at around twelve thousand, the greatest concentrations still being found in the Netherlands, and secondarily in the United States, Canada, South Africa and Australia.
Typical given names associated with the Berends surname
Male
- Joost
- Karel
- Lyle
- Richard
- Wilhelmus
Female
- Belinda
- Danielle
- Dawn
- Marianne
- Wilma
Similar and related surnames
Related and similar names are generated algorithmically based on the spelling, and may not necessarily share an etymology.
How to communicate the surname Berends in...
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There are approximately 53 people named Berends in the UK. That makes it one of Britain's least common surnames. Only around one in a million people in Britain are named Berends.
