Bridgitte
A French feminine name derived from the name Brigitte, meaning "exalted one".
Name Census estimates that about 561 living Americans carry the first name Bridgitte. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Bridgitte today is around 47 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Bridgitte births was 1961 (30 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Bridgitte. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
People living today
561
~ 1 in 610,970 Americans
Peak year
1961
30 babies that year
Average age
47
years old
2016 SSA rank
#16,687
Tracked since 1958
Popularity
Bridgitte: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Bridgitte from the 1950s through to the 2010s, spanning 7 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1960s, with 229 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1960s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Bridgitte by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Bridgitte during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Bridgittes live
The SSA's state-level files cover 4 states and territories. Texas, California, Florida recorded the most babies named Bridgitte, while Georgia, Florida, California recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 5 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Bridgitte
The name Bridgitte is of Germanic origin, derived from the Old Norse name Brydhild, which means "bride" or "prosperous battle." It was a popular name among the Scandinavian and Anglo-Saxon peoples during the Middle Ages.
The earliest recorded use of the name Bridgitte can be traced back to the 9th century, when it appeared in various medieval manuscripts and records. One of the most notable historical figures bearing this name was Saint Bridgitte of Sweden (1303-1373), a mystic and founder of the Bridgettine Order of nuns.
In the following centuries, the name Bridgitte gained popularity across Europe, particularly in England, France, and Germany. Among the notable individuals with this name were Bridgitte Bardot (1934-), the French actress and fashion icon known for her roles in films such as "And God Created Woman" and "Contempt."
Another famous Bridgitte was Bridgitte Nielsen (1963-), the Danish actress and model who gained international recognition for her roles in films like "Red Sonja" and "Beverly Hills Cop II." She was also known for her marriage to actor Sylvester Stallone.
In the field of literature, Bridgitte Aubert (1939-) is a French writer and poet who has published numerous works, including the novel "La Vallée des Merveilles" (The Valley of Wonders) and the poetry collection "Éclats de sel" (Salt Splinters).
The name Bridgitte has also been borne by notable figures in the arts and sciences. Bridgitte Townsend (1934-2015) was a Canadian painter and printmaker known for her abstract expressionist works, while Bridgitte Raynaud (1939-) is a French mathematician renowned for her contributions to the field of dynamical systems.
Throughout its history, the name Bridgitte has maintained its distinct Germanic roots and has been associated with strength, prosperity, and feminine beauty. Its enduring popularity across various cultures and time periods is a testament to its timeless appeal.
People
Bridgitte + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Bridgitte as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with B
Other first names starting with B with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Bridgitte: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Bridgitte?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 561 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Bridgitte going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 610,970 US residents.
Is Bridgitte a common name?
We classify Bridgitte as "Very Rare". It ranks above 85.6% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 628 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Bridgitte most popular?
The single biggest year for Bridgitte was 1961, when 30 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Bridgitte is about 47 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Bridgitte a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Bridgitte in the SSA data are female. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.