Bernadette – Name Meaning
The name Bernadette is a French female given name. It is derived from the Germanic elements bern, meaning “bear” and hard, meaning “brave” or “strong”. The name is also associated with Saint Bernadette of Lourdes, a young French girl who had visions of the Virgin Mary in 1858.
Origin and History
The name Bernadette has its roots in the Germanic language. The first part of the name, bern, means “bear” and the second part, hard, means “brave” or “strong”. This combination of words creates a powerful image of strength and courage.
The name was popularized by Saint Bernadette of Lourdes, a young French girl who had visions of the Virgin Mary in 1858. She was canonized as a saint in 1933 and her feast day is celebrated on April 16th each year. Since then, the name has become increasingly popular throughout Europe and North America.
Popularity
The name Bernadette is not particularly common in the United States but it does appear on the Social Security Administration’s list of top 1000 baby names for girls. In 2019, it ranked at number 890 with an estimated 545 babies given this name that year.
In France, however, the name is much more popular. It ranked at number 39 on the list of most popular baby names for girls in 2019 with an estimated 2,837 babies given this name that year.
Famous People Named Bernadette
There are many famous people who have been given the name Bernadette including:
- Bernadette Peters, an American actress and singer best known for her roles in musicals such as Into The Woods and Gypsy.
- Bernadette Devlin McAliskey, an Irish politician who was active during The Troubles in Northern Ireland.
- Bernadette Soubirous, better known as Saint Bernadette of Lourdes.
- Bernadette Robinson, an Australian actress and singer best known for her one-woman show Songs For Nobodies.
- Bernadette Stanis, an American actress best known for her role as Thelma Evans on Good Times.
Conclusion
The name Bernadette is a strong and powerful female given name with roots in Germanic language. It has become increasingly popular since being associated with Saint Bernadette of Lourdes and there are many famous people who have been given this beautiful name.
