Bear Greek word ἄρκτος ("arktos"), meaning bear, as do the names "arctic" and "antarctic", from the constellation Ursa Major, the "Great Bear", prominent in the northern sky. Bear taxon names such as Ursidae and "Ursus" come from Latin "Ursus/Ursa", he-bear/she-bear. The female first name "Ursula", originally derived from a Christian saint's name, means "little she-bear" (diminutive of Latin "ursa"). In Switzerland, the male first name "Urs" is especially popular, while the name of the canton and city of Bern is derived from "Bär", German for bear. The Germanic name Bernard (including Bernhardt and similar forms) means "bear-brave", "bear-hardy", or "bold bear".
Great Bear (band) Great Bear (band) Great Bear is a North American contra dance band composed of brothers Andrew and Noah VanNorstrand, their mother Kim Yerton, Chris Miller, Rebecca Bosworth-Clemens, and Dana Billings. It is known as the Great Bear Trio when touring with the first three members, and as the Andrew and Noah Band when touring with only the VanNorstrand brothers. It is the most popular contra dance band in the world, as measured by annual festival bookings. The Great Bear Trio became well-established within the contra dance scene in the United States and Canada in the 2000's, and has been frequently