Bernadette
Bernadette was the 1034th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 241 babies. Its best year was 1946, when it ranked 188th; the most babies were born in 1958 (1,494). Over the last ten years it has moved up 445 places. More babies were named Bernadette in the 1960s than in any other decade.
Meaning feminine of Bernard; "brave as a bear" · French, Germanic
Say it bur-nuh-DET /ˌbɝnəˈdɛt/
- Rank in 2025
- #1,034 girls, up 411 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 241girls
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a girl’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 19581,494 babies
- Total since 1880
- 55,033babies recorded
What does the name Bernadette mean?
Bernadette is a French feminine diminutive of Bernard, a Germanic name from bero, "bear", and hard, "hard, strong, brave". It is best known from Saint Bernadette Soubirous (1844–1879), whose visions at Lourdes made the name popular among Catholics. It was most common in the US from the 1940s to the 1960s.
bero (Old High German, “bear”)hart (Old High German, “hard, strong”)
How sure is this? Well established.
Related names: Bernard, Bernadine, Bernie, Detta.
See also: Germanic names, names that mean strength, names that mean an animal.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Bernadette', Wiktionary (Wikimedia Foundation)
- Dictionary of Medieval Names from European Sources, ed. S. L. Uckelman, Edition 2023 no. 1, s.v. 'Bernard', DMNES (Durham University)
- Wikipedia, 'Bernadette', Wikipedia (Wikimedia Foundation)
Nicknames for Bernadette
The usual nicknames for Bernadette are Bernie.
| Nickname | Kind | Rank 2025 | Girls, 5 years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bernie · also for Bernard, Bernice | Traditional | — | — |
Nicknames reviewed by our editors; counts are girls given the nickname as their legal first name. Nobody records how many Bernadettes go by each one.
Bernadette popularity since 1880
A few boys are given the name too: 60 since 1962.
| Year | Rank (girls) | Babies (girls) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #1,034 | 241 |
| 2020 | #1,445 | 150 |
| 2010 | #2,388 | 79 |
| 2000 | #1,603 | 110 |
| 1990 | #739 | 281 |
| 1980 | #484 | 434 |
| 1970 | #340 | 775 |
| 1960 | #226 | 1,424 |
| 1950 | #233 | 1,043 |
| 1940 | #364 | 323 |
| 1930 | #379 | 323 |
| 1920 | #360 | 330 |
| 1910 | #402 | 96 |
| 1900 | #495 | 47 |
| 1890 | #581 | 20 |
| 1880 | #634 | 8 |
How popular is Bernadette, counting every spelling?
Bernadette has no other common spelling that sounds the same. Counting every name's spellings together, it ranks #997 for girls in 2025, against #1,034 on the official list.
How many kids will share the name Bernadette?
241 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Bernadette (0.07 per 1,000 births). For a girl named Bernadette born in 2025, the chance that another child with the same name is in a class of 20 children the same age is under 1 in 50. If every grade liked the name as much as the 2025 babies do, only about one elementary school in 35 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Bernadette.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Bernadette?
About 37,800 people born in the US named Bernadette are alive today, with a median age of 62; half are between 49 and 72. That makes Bernadette a name most people associate with older generations.
Babies given the name each year (SSA) times the share of that birth year still alive (SSA life tables). Counts people born in the US only. Method.
Bernadette by state
How common Bernadette was among girls born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in Minnesota (3.5×), Kansas (3.4×), Wisconsin (3.0×), Illinois (2.3×), Missouri (2.1×). In 26 states fewer than five girls a year got the name, too few for SSA to publish, so those states show as zero.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Bernadette: their share of US girls followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Bernadette, they share its era and feel.
Middle names for Bernadette · Sibling names for Bernadette
Questions about the name Bernadette
What does Bernadette mean?
Bernadette means “feminine of Bernard; "brave as a bear"” (French, Germanic origin). Certainty: well established.
How popular is the name Bernadette?
Bernadette was the 1034th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 241 babies. Its best year was 1946, when it ranked 188th; the most babies were born in 1958 (1,494). Over the last ten years it has moved up 445 places. More babies were named Bernadette in the 1960s than in any other decade.
Is Bernadette a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a girl’s name given the name Bernadette in the US.
Where is Bernadette most popular?
In 2021–2025, Bernadette was most common in Minnesota (0.44 per 1,000 girls), followed by Kansas and Wisconsin.