Bridget

Bridget

St. Brigid of Kildare inspired the popularity of the name Bridget.
Origin
Word/name	Irish
Meaning	Noble or exalted one
Other names
Related names	Briget, Brigid, Brigitte, Birgit, Birgitta, Birgitte, Bridgette

Bridget, Bridgit, Briget or Brigid is a Gaelic/Irish female name derived from the noun brígh, meaning "power, strength, vigor, virtue".^[1] An alternate meaning of the name is "exalted one".^[2] Its popularity, especially in Ireland, is largely related to the popularity of Saint Brigid of Kildare, who was so popular in Ireland she was known as "Mary of the Gael". This saint took on many of the characteristics of the early Celtic goddess Brigid, who was the goddess of agriculture and healing and possibly also of poetry and fire. One of her epithets was "Brigid of the Holy Fire".^[3] In German and Scandinavian countries, the popularity of the name spread due to Saint Bridget of Sweden.

In the Irish language, the name is spelled Brighid or Bríd and is pronounced "breed" or "breej". In the Scottish Gaelic language, the name is spelled Brìghde and is pronounced "breej-eh" At one time the name was so popular for Irish girls that Bridey was used as a slang term for an Irish girl in English-speaking countries. Some Irish servant girls were called Biddie or Biddy by their employers even if that wasn't their real first name. It has been steadily used in the United States throughout the 20th century, though never among the top 100 most popular names for girls. It was most popular in the 1970s, when it ranked as the 153rd most popular name for girls born in that decade in the United States. In 2006, it was the 349th most popular female given name in the United States; in 2007 it fell to 357th place. It was ranked as the 367th most common name for girls and women in the United States in the 1990 census.^[4]

Uses[]

The following people and characters share given name Bridget.

Given name[]

• Bridget Breiner (born 1974), American dancer and choreographer, working mainly in Germany
• Bridget Brind, British diplomat
• Bridget Brink, American diplomat
• Bridget Carleton (born 1997), Canadian basketball player
• Bridget Rose Dugdale, English heiress who joined the Provisional Irish Republican Army
• Bridget Fonda (born 1964), American actress
• Bridget Hustwaite (born 1991), Australian radio presenter and journalist
• Bridget Marquardt, from The Girls Next Door
• Bridget Moynahan, actress and model
• Bridget Namiotka (born 1990), American pair skater
• Bridget Perrier (born 1977), Canadian anti-prostitution activist
• Bridget of Sweden, Swedish nun and saint
• Bridgit Mendler (born 1992), American actress and singer-songwriter
• Brigitte Bardot, French actress
• Briget Paget, English puritan

Fictional characters[]

• Bridget (Guilty Gear), in the fighting game series Guilty Gear
• Bridget, in the film The Wild
• Bridget, in the film An American Tail
• Bridget Forrester, in The Bold and the Beautiful
• Bridget Hennessey, the eldest child on the sitcom 8 Simple Rules
• Bridget Jones
• Bridget von Hammersmark, played by Diane Kruger in the film Inglourious Basterds.
• Bridget "Bee" Vreeland, in the book and movie The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants
• Brighid, in the game Xenoblade Chronicles 2
• Brigitte (Overwatch), in the game Overwatch

Variations[]

See also[]

• Brigid (disambiguation)
• List of Irish-language given names

References[]

Bibliography[]

• Rosenkrantz, Linda, and Satran, Pamela Redmond (2008). Cool Names for Babies. St. Martin's Griffin. ISBN 978-0-312-37786-1
• Todd, Loreto (1998). Celtic Names for Children. Irish American Book Company. ISBN 0-86278-556-1.

Name list

This page or section lists people that share the same given name.
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