Bridget is a feminine given name of Irish origin. It comes from the Gaelic name "Brighid" which means "exalted one." The name Bridget has been associated with Saint Brigid, the patron saint of Ireland who was known for her kindness and generosity towards the poor. She is believed to have founded the monastery in Kildare, where she served as its abbess. The name Bridget has also been popular among royalty, with several queens throughout history bearing this name. Today, Bridget remains a popular choice for parents looking for a unique yet meaningful name for their daughter.
Here are some statistical trends regarding the name Bridget in the United States over time:
In the late 19th century and early 20th century, the number of newborn girls named Bridget varied annually between approximately 20 to 100 births per year. The highest points during this period occurred around the years 1897 (47 births) and 1915-1916 (95 births each year).
From the 1930s to the 1950s, the number of newborn girls named Bridget remained relatively stable, with around 50 to 70 births per year. However, starting in the mid-1950s, there was a significant increase in popularity for this name.
In the late 1950s and early 1960s, the number of newborn girls named Bridget began to rise rapidly, reaching over 1,000 births per year by 1962. This trend continued until the mid-1970s when the name peaked with nearly 3,000 births in 1973.
After the peak in popularity, the number of newborn girls named Bridget began to decline steadily, dropping below 1,000 births per year by the late 1980s. This downward trend continued throughout the 1990s and into the early 2000s, with fewer than 500 births per year recorded since around the year 2000.
In recent years, the name Bridget has seen a slight resurgence in popularity, with approximately 300 to 400 newborn girls named Bridget each year from 2016 to 2022. Overall, as of 2022, there have been a total of 91,582 newborn girls named Bridget in the United States since record-keeping began.
These statistics illustrate how the popularity of the name Bridget has evolved over time, with periods of high and low demand for this particular name among parents choosing names for their newborn daughters.