Given name & surname
Brigitte
Brigitte is a feminine given name. It is used in French and German.
Meaning & origin
Where it comes from
Brigitte is a variant of Bridget. A possible origin is Irish, although the derivation remains uncertain.
Explained through its name family
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1946. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin. Brigitte is a variant of Bridget. The history of Bridget gives this family its wider story. In mythological stories, Bridget is associated with the goddess of fire, wisdom, and poetry.
Combines direct and name-family evidence
Brigitte through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 9,165
- 0 boys · 9,165 girls
- Most popular year
- 1960
- 314 babies
- 2025
- 59
- #2,864 for girls
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- −13%
- Easing
Where it’s given
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 59 U.S. birth records for girls, ranking No. 2,864 among girls’ names. Average annual use for girls was 13.1% lower in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. Its largest published annual count for girls was 314 in 1960. In 2025, California had the largest reported state-level birth count for girls with this name (11). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 13,751 as a first name in 2020.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
Brigitte’s family of names
In German usage, Brigitte has a short form in Britta. Brigitte shares a linguistic root with Bridget. In German usage, Brigitte has a conventional equivalent in the English form Bridgette.
Inner ring: spellings · middle: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Around the world
Brigitte has relatives in 30 languages.
100 related names in 30 languages. Point at a dot, or tab to the map and use the arrow keys.
Nicknames & forms 10
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
- Bridgetvariant · English
- Briggittelikely variant
- Brittashort form · German, Swedish
- Brigittavariant · German, Latin
- Birgittavariant · German, Swedish
- Brigidavariant · German, Occitan
- Birgitvariant · German
- Gittediminutive · French
Show 2 moreShow fewer
Spellings & scripts 2
The same name written differently, including transliterations into other scripts.
Across languages 93
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
- BridgetteEnglish
- BrigidIrish
- BertaNorwegian
- BeritNorwegian
- BrighidIrish
- BrigitaCzech, Slovene
- BirgitteNorwegian Nynorsk, Norwegian
- BrittenSwedish
Show 52 moreShow fewer
- BritteSwedish
- BrittSwedish
- BeritaSwedish
- BritaNorwegian, Finnish
- BritNorwegian
- BrigitNorwegian, English
- BertheNorwegian
- BerteNorwegian
- BeretNorwegian
- BrigittDanish
- BirthaDanish
- BirtaDanish
- BertineDanish
- BerthineDanish
- Pirkkoequivalent
- Pirjoequivalent
- БриджетRussian
- БриджитRussian
- BrygidaPolish
- БригиттаRussian
- BregidaOccitan
- BergidaOccitan
- FfraidWelsh
- Berjitgallo, Norwegian
- Berjittgallo
- BrídIrish
- BrìghdeScottish Gaelic
- BercʼhedBreton
- BrígidaSpanish, Portuguese
- BörtaSwedish
- BöritSwedish
- BöretSwedish
- BäretSwedish
- ByritaSwedish
- ByrghitaSwedish
- BritkenSwedish
- BriteSwedish
- BitteSwedish
- Birrásmi
- Biretsmi
- Biggasmi
- BirgaNorwegian
- BerteaNorwegian
- BeriteNorwegian
- BergitteNorwegian
- BergitNorwegian
- BreesheyManx
- PrikittaFinnish
- PriittaFinnish
- PriitaFinnish
- PirkkaFinnish
- PirkittaFinnish
And 33 more.
People named Brigitte
- Brigitte BardotFrench actress, singer, animal rights activist (1934–2025)
- Bridget of SwedenSwedish nun, mystic, and saint (c.1303–1373)
- Brigitte MacronFrench teacher, spouse of French statesman Emmanuel Macronborn 1953
- Brigitte BierleinAustrian jurist and politician, former federal chancellor of Austria and president of the Austrian constitutional court (1949–2024)
- Brigitte NielsenDanish actress, model and singerborn 1963
- Brigitte HaasLiechtenstein lawyer and politician (born 1964)
- Brigitte HelmGerman actress (1908–1996)
- Brigitte FosseyFrench actressborn 1946
- Brigitte FontaineFrench poet and artistborn 1939
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Appears in
Similar names
If you love Brigitte, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
Bridgitte
>99% girls
Brigette
>99% girls
Diane
Diane is used as a given name and a surname. Diane is connected with Diana.
>99% girls
Pennie
Pennie is a surname.
>99% girls
Venus
“love”
1% boys · 99% girls
Cindy
In English use, Cindy is used as an affectionate form of Cynthia.
>99% girls
Dori
“a gift of God” · “of the ancient Greek tribe, the Dorians”
>99% girls
Rea
Rea is a feminine given name.
>99% girls