Baby name
Bernadette
/ber · nuh · DET/
Meaning
“Brave bear”
French feminine of Bernard from Germanic bear-brave; adds Catholic devotion via St. Bernadette
Nicknames
bernie · nadette
How it ages.
Bernadette peaked in mid-20th century particularly in Catholic cultures and has declined but retains established presence.
The cultural moment.
France and Ireland maintain modest consistent usage; US shows gentle decline from 1960s-1980s peak; UK follows similar pattern.