Bernina
Meaning of Bernina
Bernina is a feminine Italian given name whose provenance is topographically rooted in the eponymous Bernina massif of the Swiss-Italian Alps, a designation first recorded in mid-19th-century cartographic surveys and ultimately derived—via the Romansh tongue—from the Old High German bera, “bear.” As an onomastic construct, Bernina comprises three syllables with antepenultimate stress, yielding the phonetic profiles ber-NEE-nah (/berˈniːna/) in its original Italian and ber-NEE-nuh (/bərˈniːnə/) in Anglophone adaptation. Its association with Alpine grandeur confers connotations of resilience, geological permanence and elevated stature, characteristics prized in naming conventions that emphasize both natural majesty and historical depth. Usage statistics in the United States between 1969 and 1973 document a modest yet steady presence—annual registrations ranging from six to ten—placing Bernina consistently within the mid-700s in Social Security rank. Such rarity underlines its appeal as a distinctive choice for parents seeking a name of technical elegance, cultural resonance and enduring topographical significance.
Pronunciation
Italian
- Pronunced as ber-NEE-nah (/berˈniːna/)
English
- Pronunced as ber-NEE-nuh (/bərˈniːnə/)
U.S. Popularity Chart
