Given name & surname · also Irish, Gaelic
Bridget
Bridget is a feminine given name from Irish.
Original IrishBrighid
Meaning & origin
Where it comes from
A possible origin is Irish, although the derivation remains uncertain.
How it developed
This form developed as an English adaptation of a name used in another language.
The story
In mythological stories, Bridget is associated with the goddess of fire, wisdom, and poetry.
Bridget through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 92,517
- 150 boys · 92,367 girls
- Most popular year
- 1973
- 2,770 babies
- 2025
- 385
- #724 for girls
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- −9%
- Steady
Where it’s given
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 385 U.S. birth records for girls, ranking No. 724 among girls’ names. Average annual use for girls was 8.5% lower in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. Its largest published annual count for girls was 2,763 in 1973. In 2025, California had the largest reported state-level birth count for girls with this name (31). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 81,356 as a first name in 2020; 319 as a surname in 2020.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
Bridget’s family of names
In English usage, Bridget has a diminutive in BRI. Bridget shares a linguistic root with Brigitte. In English usage, Bridget has a related form in Bridgette.
Inner ring: spellings · middle: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Around the world
Bridget has relatives in 30 languages. Lines run from its Irish roots to each of them.
Nicknames & forms 40
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
- Bridgettevariant · English
- Brigittevariant · French, German
- Brigidvariant
- Brittavariant · Swedish
- Brigettevariant
- Bridgettvariant
- Bridiminutive · English
- Brigittavariant · Italian, Vietnamese
Show 32 moreShow fewer
- Beritvariant
- Brighidvariant · Irish
- Bridgitvariant · English
- Bridiediminutive · English
- Biddydiminutive · English
- Biddiediminutive · English
- Briettevariant
- Briettavariant
- Brigitvariant
- Brigidavariant · Italian, Spanish
- Bridgettavariant
- Brigettavariant
- Birgittavariant · Swedish
- Birgittevariant · Norwegian, Danish
- Birgitvariant · Swedish
- Bridgittevariant
- Brigetvariant
- Bridggetlikely variant
- Briddgetlikely variant
- Brygidvariant
- Brygidavariant · Polish
- Brygavariant
- Brigantiavariant
- Brigidiavariant
- Breedavariant
- Bidinavariant
- Bideliavariant
- Bridvariant
- Bridevariant · English
- Bergitvariant
- Bergittevariant
- Bergetvariant
Spellings & scripts 1
The same name written differently, including transliterations into other scripts.
Across languages 29
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
- BrídIrish
- Bridgeequivalent
- BrigitaLithuanian, Latvian
- Bríetequivalent
- Ribinequivalent
- Brìdeequivalent
- БриджетRussian
- БриджитRussian
Show 21 moreShow fewer
- Pirkkocognate · Finnish
- BirteGerman
- Ffraidcognate · Welsh
- Бриги́ттаRussian
- BrígidaPortuguese
- BrígiðaOld Norse
- BreesheyManx
- BikkiGreenlandic
- ბრიგიტაGeorgian
- BiritaFaroese
- PiretEstonian
- BirgitaEsperanto
- 布莉姬Mandarin
- 布里奇特Mandarin
- Бри́джитBulgarian, Russian
- Бриги́таBulgarian
- Brec'hedBreton
- Berc'hedBreton
- BrìghdeScottish Gaelic
- BiretNorthern Sami
- Pirjocognate
See also 3
Names our sources mention alongside this one. They are related in story or meaning, not forms of this name.
People named Bridget
- Bridget of SwedenSwedish nun, mystic, and saint (c.1303–1373)
- Bridget FondaAmerican actressborn 1964
- Bridget ReganAmerican actressborn 1982
- Bridget RileyBritish painter (born 1931)
- Bridget MarquardtAmerican TV personalityborn 1973
- Bridget SloanAmerican gymnastborn 1992
- Bridget PhillipsonBritish politician (born 1983)
- Bridget of YorkEnglish nun; (1480-1517)
- Bridget DowlingAdolf Hitler's sister-in-law via her marriage to Alois Hitler, Jr.1891–1969
Characters named Bridget: Bridget Jones (fictional character created by Helen Fielding), Bridget (Guilty Gear).
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Similar names
If you love Bridget, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
Deirdre
“a brokenhearted or raging woman”
>99% girls
Tara
“hill”
>99% girls
Jennifer
“one who is fair; a beautiful girl”
>99% girls
Elaine
“the shining light” · “resembling a fawn”
>99% girls
Meredith
“a great ruler; protector of the sea”
>99% girls
Aja
1% boys · 99% girls
Maura
“moor” · “dark, swarthy”
>99% girls
Kelly
“a lively and bright-headed woman”
21% boys · 79% girls