Bernal surname meaning

Bernal is a Spanish surname from the medieval personal name Bernal, a variant of Bernaldo and ultimately an Iberian adaptation of Bernard. Bernard itself is Germanic, from elements meaning “bear” and “brave” or “strong.” The surname spread through Spain into Latin America and from there into the United States, where Bernal is especially common in Hispanic communities. Bernaldo and accented Bernál appear in older records. Parent’s name is high confidence: DAFN treats Bernal as a personal-name surname rather than a place or nickname in its own right.