The first name Bernadette
A girl’s name from French.
Pronounced /ˌbɜɹ.nəˈdɛt/ 3 syllables Female
Meaning and origin
French origin
From French Bernadette, made famous by St. Bernadette of Lourdes.
From Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Popularity
Babies registered in England and Wales, 1996–2025
In 2025, 17 girls were named Bernadette, making it the 1,719th most popular girls’ name. It peaked in 1996, with 39 births (#620).
Office for National Statistics; years with fewer than three births are not published and show as zero. Compare Bernadette with other names.
Popularity in the United States
Babies named Bernadette at birth, 1880–2025
In 2025, 241 girls born in the United States were named Bernadette, the 1,034th most popular girls’ name that year. It was used most in 1958, when 1,494 were.
US Social Security Administration, from applications for a Social Security card. A name is only published for a year when at least five babies were given it, so quieter years show as zero.
Bernadette in other languages
Equivalent forms of the name, from Wiktionary
Spelled Bernadette in French and German too.
Famous people named Bernadette
17 on Wikidata, most written-about first
- Bernadette SoubirousFrench saint (1844–1879)
- Bernadette PetersAmerican actress and singer (born 1948)
- Bernadette LafontFrench actress (1938-2013)
- Bernadette ChiracFrench politician (1933–2026)
- Bernadette SchildAustrian alpine skier, born 1990
- Bernadette Sanou DaoBurkinabé writer, born 1952
- Bernadette GrafAustrian sportsperson, born 1992
- BernadetteDutch singer (born 1959)
- Bernadette Perrin-RiouFrench mathematician, born 1955
- Bernadette MayerAmerican writer, 1945–2022
- Bernadette MartinFrench sprinter and middle-distance runner, born 1951
- Bernadette HeerwagenGerman actress, born 1977
More French girls’ names
Questions
- What does the name Bernadette mean?
- From French Bernadette, made famous by St. Bernadette of Lourdes.
- What is the origin of the name Bernadette?
- From French Bernadette, made famous by St. Bernadette of Lourdes.
- How popular is the name Bernadette?
- In 2025, 17 girls born in England and Wales were named Bernadette, ranking 1,719th. Its peak was 1996, with 39 births.
- Is Bernadette a boy's or a girl's name?
- Mostly a girl's name: 100% of the 55,033 US babies named Bernadette since 1880 were girls.
- When was Bernadette most popular?
- 1958 in the United States, when 1,494 babies were named Bernadette, its highest rank at 213th.
- How do you pronounce Bernadette?
- Bernadette is /ˌbɜɹ.nəˈdɛt/, 3 syllables.