Bernards Township (/ˈbɜːrnərdz/) is a township in Somerset County, New Jersey, United States. The township is a bedroom suburb of New York City in the much larger New York metropolitan area, located within the Raritan Valley region. As of the 2010 United States Census, the township's population was 26,652, reflecting an increase of 2,077 (+8.5%) from the 24,575 counted in the 2000 Census, which had in turn increased by 7,376 (+42.9%) from the 17,199 counted in the 1990 Census. The township was named for Sir Francis Bernard, 1st Baronet, who served as governor of the Province of New Jersey.