Chloe Girl
KLOH-ee
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#23
Bernadette
GirlFrench, Germanic· “brave as a bear”
- Meaning
- brave as a bear
- Origin
- French, Germanic
- Pronunciation
- ber-nuh-DET
- Syllables
- 3
- US rank 2025
- #1,034
- US babies 2025
- 241
- Best rank
- #188 (1946)
- Peak year
- 1958
Meaning and origin of Bernadette
Bernadette is a French and Germanic name that means “brave as a bear”.
Bernadette is the French feminine diminutive of Bernard, a Germanic name combining words for bear and hardy or brave, so it is often glossed "brave as a bear." The name is inseparable from Saint Bernadette Soubirous, the young woman of Lourdes whose visions of the Virgin Mary in the nineteenth century made the town a major pilgrimage site. Franz Werfel's novel The Song of Bernadette brought her story to a wide audience. The name has a classic Catholic heritage, and Bernie and Etta are friendly nicknames.
Popularity over time
Bernadette has been given to babies in the United States since at least 1880, the first year of Social Security records. It has ranked in the top 1,000 in 113 different years. Its best national rank was #188 in 1946, and the most babies received it in 1958, when 1,494 were named Bernadette. In 2025, 241 babies were named Bernadette, and it ranked #1,034 nationally. That is 56% more than ten years earlier, so it is clearly on the rise.
Its national rank moved from #360 in 1920, #233 in 1950, #484 in 1980, #1,603 in 2000, #2,388 in 2010, and #1,034 in 2025. Of the 54,973 US girls named Bernadette since records began, 19% were born in the 1960s, its biggest decade. The 1950s come next, with 10,701 babies. Since 2010, 2,416 more have been named Bernadette.
Other girls' names that peaked around the same time include Patrice, Jayne, Jeannie, Betsy, and Myra.
Where it is most popular (2025)
In 2025, Bernadette ranked highest in Kansas, Oregon, and Minnesota.
Gender, sound and spelling
In the US it is used almost only for girls.
Bernadette is usually pronounced ber-nuh-DET, with three syllables. It has ten letters, starts with B and ends in “-te”.
Middle names for Bernadette
A few middle names that flow with Bernadette: each avoids a matching first letter, a rhyme and a vowel clash where the names meet.
Sibling names for Bernadette
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Lists that include Bernadette
Frequently asked questions
What does the name Bernadette mean?
Bernadette is a French and Germanic name that means “brave as a bear”.
What is the origin of the name Bernadette?
Bernadette has French and Germanic roots. Bernadette is the French feminine diminutive of Bernard, a Germanic name combining words for bear and hardy or brave, so it is often glossed "brave as a bear." The name is inseparable from Saint Bernadette Soubirous, the young woman of Lourdes whose visions of the Virgin Mary in the nineteenth century made the town a major pilgrimage site.
Is Bernadette a popular name?
Not especially. Bernadette ranked #1,034 in the US in 2025, which puts it outside the top 1,000.
Is Bernadette a boy or girl name?
Bernadette is mainly a girl's name. In the US it is used almost only for girls.
How do you pronounce Bernadette?
Bernadette is usually pronounced ber-nuh-DET. Stressed syllables are in capital letters.
Popularity figures come from US Social Security card applications (names given to at least five babies in a year, 1880 to 2025). How we source names and meanings