Brigett
A feminine name of Celtic origin meaning "exalted one".
Name Census estimates that about 431 living Americans carry the first name Brigett. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Brigett today is around 45 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Brigett births was 1970 (19 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Brigett. 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
431
~ 1 in 795,254 Americans
Peak year
1970
19 babies that year
Average age
45
years old
2014 SSA rank
#17,017
Tracked since 1958
Popularity
Brigett: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Brigett from the 1950s through to the 2010s, spanning 7 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1970s, with 130 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1970s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Brigett 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 Brigett during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Origin
Meaning and history of Brigett
The name Brigett is derived from the Celtic word "brig", meaning "strength" or "vigor". It is believed to have originated in Ireland and Scotland, where it was initially spelled as "Brighid" or "Bríd". The name has its roots in the ancient pagan religion of the Celts, where Brighid was revered as the goddess of fire, poetry, healing, and smithcraft.
The earliest known reference to the name Brighid can be found in ancient Irish mythology, where she is depicted as a powerful and multifaceted deity. In the 5th century, Saint Brigid of Kildare, one of Ireland's patron saints, adopted the name and helped to popularize it among the Christian population. Her feast day, celebrated on February 1st, is still observed in many parts of Ireland and Scotland.
The name Brigett gained popularity in various parts of Europe during the Middle Ages, with slight variations in spelling and pronunciation. In England, it was often spelled as "Bridget" or "Brigit". One of the most notable figures bearing this name was Saint Bridget of Sweden (c. 1303-1373), a mystic and founder of the Bridgettine Order of nuns.
Another influential figure was Bridget of York (c. 1480-1517), the daughter of Edward IV and Elizabeth Woodville. She was a prominent figure in the Tudor court and played a role in the Wars of the Roses. In France, the name was sometimes rendered as "Brigitte", as in the case of Brigitte Bardot (1934-present), the iconic French actress and fashion model.
In the literary world, Brigett has been the name of several notable figures, including Brigit Pegeen Kelly (1913-1942), an Irish poet and playwright, and Brigid Brophy (1929-1995), an English novelist and critic. In the realm of religion, Brigett has been the name of several saints and nuns, such as Saint Brigid of Ireland (c. 451-525) and Brigid of Kildare (c. 453-523), both renowned for their piety and devotion.
While the name Brigett has undergone various spellings and adaptations throughout history, its Celtic origins and associations with strength, healing, and creativity have remained consistent. It continues to be a popular choice for parents seeking a name with deep cultural roots and a rich historical legacy.
People
Brigett + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Brigett 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
Brigett: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Brigett?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 431 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Brigett 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 795,254 US residents.
Is Brigett a common name?
We classify Brigett as "Very Rare". It ranks above 83.1% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 475 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Brigett most popular?
The single biggest year for Brigett was 1970, when 19 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Brigett is about 45 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Brigett a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Brigett 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.