Bernadette is a girl name with a classic feel, drawn from real birth records. Below you'll find what Bernadette means and where it comes from, plus how many babies have been named Bernadette across the United States, UK, Ireland and New Zealand, how popular Bernadette has been over the decades, and the year it peaked.
Bernadette is a girl name of Germanic origin meaning “brave as a bear”. The French feminine diminutive of Bernard.
| Country | Births on record |
|---|---|
| United States since 1880 | 55,033 births |
| England & Wales since 1996 | 486 births |
| Scotland since 1974 | 394 births |
| Northern Ireland since 1997 | 23 births |
| Ireland since 1964 | 5,642 births |
Counts come from official national birth-registration statistics: U.S. Social Security Administration, England & Wales (Office for National Statistics), Scotland (National Records of Scotland), Northern Ireland (NISRA), Ireland (Central Statistics Office) and New Zealand (Dept. of Internal Affairs). Coverage spans differ, so totals aren't directly comparable across countries.
Babies named Bernadette per year, United States (1880 to 2025). United States peaked in 1958 (1,494/yr) · Ireland peaked in 1969 (415/yr) · England & Wales peaked in 1996 (39/yr) · Scotland peaked in 1979 (31/yr) · Northern Ireland peaked in 1997 (4/yr).
Bernadette has been a fairly common baby name in the United States. It was most common in 1958, when it ranked #403 nationally (given to 1,494 babies that year).
Bernadett · Bernadetta · Burnadette · Bernedette · Brendetta · Bernnadette · Bernadet
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