Names that mean “bear”
31 fragments across 22 traditions carry this sense. 21 of them open a name against 10 that close one, so this reads as a sense that leads.
Bear names across the traditions
¶They are spread across 6 different families, from real world outward, which is the mark of a sense so basic that almost every tradition needs a word for it. Celtic is among those carrying the most, with 4 separate fragments for it — a tradition that needs this many words for one idea is telling you something about what it cares about.
Matu initial · matus final · matua final · matuon final
- Matuialos
Matu bear + ialos clearing
bear clearing
- Matulanos
Matu bear + lanos plain
bear plain
- Matuollos
Matu bear + ollos utmost
bear utmost
- Rigomatus
Rigo royal + matus bear
royal bear
- Mandomatus
Mando pony + matus bear
pony bear
- Lanomatus
Lano plain + matus bear
plain bear
- Tasgomatua
Tasgo badger + matua bear
badger bear
- Teutomatua
Teuto tribe + matua bear
tribe bear
- Ollomatua
Ollo utmost + matua bear
utmost bear
- Glanomatuon
Glano clear + matuon bear
clear bear
- Vernomatuon
Verno alder + matuon bear
alder bear
- Tasgomatuon
Tasgo badger + matuon bear
badger bear
bern final · berna final
- Gorrbern
Gorr gored + bern bear
gored the bear
- Grimbern
Grim bared teeth + bern bear
bared teeth the bear
- Rekkbern
Rekk reached + bern bear
reached the bear
- Kremaberna
Krema crushed + berna bear
crushed the bear
- Fannaberna
Fanna caught + berna bear
caught the bear
- Rukkaberna
Rukka tore + berna bear
tore the bear
Bera initial · Bjarn initial
- Berathyr
Bera bear + thyr shelter
bear shelter
- Beradotta
Bera bear + dotta daughter
bear daughter
- Berastein
Bera bear + stein stone
bear stone
- Bjarnspor
Bjarn bear + spor track
bear track
- Bjarnskjal
Bjarn bear + skjal shelter
bear shelter
- Bjarnyr
Bjarn bear + yr bow
bear bow
Ber initial · Bern initial
- Berbault
Ber bear + bault bold
bear bold
- Berbert
Ber bear + bert bright
bear bright
- Berbrand
Ber bear + brand sword
bear sword
- Bernel
Bern bear + el little
bear little
- Bernrade
Bern bear + rade counsel
bear counsel
- Bernault
Bern bear + ault rule
bear rule
Ber initial · bern final
- Berold
Ber bear + old ruler
bear ruler
- Berwart
Ber bear + wart warden
bear warden
- Berbrun
Ber bear + brun brown
bear brown
- Gundbern
Gund war + bern bear
war bear
- Irmbern
Irm great + bern bear
great bear
- Trudbern
Trud strength + bern bear
strength bear
bern final · berna final
- Magnibern
Magni great + bern bear
great bear
- Fortisbern
Fortis brave + bern bear
brave bear
- Ventibern
Venti wind + bern bear
wind bear
- Luciaberna
Lucia light + berna bear
light bear
- Rostraberna
Rostra beak + berna bear
beak bear
- Acriaberna
Acria sharp + berna bear
sharp bear
Ber initial · Bern initial
- Berric
Ber bear + ric ruler
bear ruler
- Berger
Ber bear + ger spear
bear spear
- Beraud
Ber bear + aud rule
bear rule
- Bernric
Bern bear + ric ruler
bear ruler
- Bernfort
Bern bear + fort strong
bear strong
- Bernold
Bern bear + old rule
bear rule
bern final
- Coalbern
Coal black fuel + bern bear
black fuel bear
- Chestnutbern
Chestnut brown nut + bern bear
brown nut bear
- Mistbern
Mist fine haze + bern bear
fine haze bear
Urs initial
- Ursana
Urs bear + ana land
bear land
- Ursreich
Urs bear + reich realm
bear realm
- Ursea
Urs bear + ea country
bear country
Ber initial
- Berson
Ber bear + son heir
bear heir
- Bermund
Ber bear + mund protector
bear protector
- Berlin
Ber bear + lin pool
bear pool
Urs initial
- Ursspot
Urs bear + spot small mark
bear small mark
- Urspatch
Urs bear + patch small piece
bear small piece
- Ursfield
Urs bear + field open land
bear open land
Art initial
- Artkeen
Art bear + keen smooth
bear smooth
- Artry
Art bear + ry ruler
bear ruler
- Artguala
Art bear + guala shoulder
bear shoulder
Kuma initial
- Kumabashi
Kuma bear + bashi bridge
bear bridge
- Kumaguchi
Kuma bear + guchi entrance
bear entrance
- Kumagawa
Kuma bear + gawa river
bear river
Bjorn initial
- Bjorntun
Bjorn bear + tun enclosure
bear enclosure
- Bjornvollr
Bjorn bear + vollr flat ground
bear flat ground
- Bjornstigr
Bjorn bear + stigr path
bear path
Bjørn initial
- Bjørn Steinar
Bjørn bear + steinar stone warrior
bear and stone warrior
- Bjørn Frode
Bjørn bear + frode learned
bear and learned
- Bjørn Peder
Bjørn bear + peder the stone
bear and the stone
bern final
- Purobern
Puro pure + bern bear
pure bear
- Aurebern
Aure gold + bern bear
gold bear
- Rectibern
Recti straight + bern bear
straight bear
Bjorn initial
- Bjorn Tireless
Bjorn bear + tireless unflagging
bear, called the unflagging
- Bjorn the Windward
Bjorn bear + the windward windward
bear, called the windward
- Bjorn the Restless
Bjorn bear + the restless restless
bear, called the restless
Art initial
- Artlay
Art bear + lay hero
bear hero
- Artburn
Art bear + burn stream
bear stream
- Artmuir
Art bear + muir moor
bear moor
Ursa initial
- Ursadorna
Ursa bear + dorna thorn
bear-thorn
- Ursawald
Ursa bear + wald forest
bear-forest
- Ursawinter
Ursa bear + winter cold season
bear-cold season
Bjorn initial
- Bjornvardr
Bjorn bear + vardr guardian
bear guardian
- Bjorntryg
Bjorn bear + tryg trusty
bear trusty
- Bjornfast
Bjorn bear + fast firm
bear firm
Arth initial
- Arthlas
Arth bear + las greenish
bear greenish
- Arthgastell
Arth bear + gastell castle
bear castle
- Arthgoch
Arth bear + goch crimson
bear crimson
Bjorn initial
- Bjornstride
Bjorn bear + stride long step
bear long step
- Bjornchase
Bjorn bear + chase pursuit
bear pursuit
- Bjornhollow
Bjorn bear + hollow small valley
bear small valley
Senses that travel together
Each of these shares at least two traditions with “bear”. Senses that keep turning up in the same sets usually belong to one semantic field — the small vocabulary a naming tradition returns to again and again.
Corpus under CC BY 4.0 — every fragment above has a stable anchor, so you can cite one entry rather than the whole site.