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Barnard family history records that the surname descends from the Germanic name Bernhard, from the elements bern (bear) plus hard (brave, hardy, or strong). It is claimed by Hebrew scholars to be a symbol of the Israelite tribe of Issachar. Variations occur as Baer, Ber, Berr, Behr, Bernhardt, Bernard, or Barnard. The first known instance was Hugo Bernard from Lincolnshire in 1130. Henry Bernard settled in Philadelphia in 1682. Notable names in the Barnard genealogy include Frederick Augustus Porter Barnard, after whom Barnard College was named, and Christiaan Barnard, who performed the world's first heart transplant surgery.