Bernadette

Did you know?

A few things about Bernadette you might not know, from US birth records and Wikipedia. Handy for convincing a partner, or a grandparent.

⭐ Famous Bernadette

Bernadette Peters

American actress and singer (born 1948)

Choose Bernadette and your child shares a first name with Bernadette Peters, an American actress and singer. A ready-made answer when someone asks “Bernadette, like who?” Bernadette Peters's Wikipedia article is available in 44 languages, a good sign of just how widely known they are.

Read about Bernadette Peters on Wikipedia ↗ (opens in a new tab)

Photo: PhilipRomanoPhoto, CC BY 4.0 (opens in a new tab), via Wikimedia Commons

• 👶How commonAbout 1 in every 6,671 baby girls born in the US in 2025 was named Bernadette, 241 babies in all. In a typical school of 500 kids, your Bernadette would very likely be the only one.
• 📜HistoryBernadette has been in use since at least 1880, the first year US birth records were kept. That's 145 years of Bernadettes, and counting.
• 🏆Best yearIt was far more popular in 1946, when it ranked #188. Today it's #1,034, so it could be due a comeback.
• 📈Then vs nowBernadette is 2.5× more common today than it was in 2000. In 2000 it was given to about 1 in 16,502 baby girls; in 2025, about 1 in 6,671.
• 🚀TrendBernadette has climbed 411 places in the US rankings over the last five years and now sits at #1,034. Fast risers like this often keep climbing, so expect to hear it more.
• 📍Where it's lovedBernadette is most popular in Kansas, where it ranks #324, followed by Oregon (#353) and Minnesota (#422). It's in the top 1,000 in 13 states.
• 💬MeaningBernadette is a French form of Bernard, which means “brave as a bear”. Our records link it to English, French and German roots.

About the name Bernadette

Bernadette is a girl name of English, French and German origin meaning “brave as a bear”. It has 10 letters and 3 syllables, starting with B and ending in “-tte”. US birth records list Bernadette for girls from 1880 to 2025, in 145 of those 146 years. Its best year was 1946, when it ranked #188 among girl names. In 2025 it ranked #1,034, with 241 babies.

Origin:English namesFrench namesGerman names