A FIELD REPORT ON THE NAME
Bernadette
buttoned · parochial · resolute
Origin & Meaning
AI-WrittenFrench feminine diminutive of Bernard, constructed from Germanic roots meaning bear and brave. The name spread through the Catholic world after Bernadette Soubirous reported visions at Lourdes in 1858. American registrations rose steadily in the early twentieth century before settling into suburban parish rosters.
Also answers toBernie, Bern, Birdie, Dette
Fig. 1 — Births per annum, 1880–2025
SSA Data 1880 peak: 1,494 souls, A.D. 1958 2025
2025: 241 born, rising ↑
Estimated Age
58 yrs
Most Bernadettes were born around 1958 — taped songs off the radio and timed it well.
Peak Reign
1958
№213 that year
Generation
Boomer, 44%
then Gen X 27% · Millennial 11%
Rarity
Top 2000 all-time
≈55K ever born · now rising
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Estimates from SSA birth records and standard survival rates. Immigration and name changes not counted.
Bernadette grew up with
SSA DataBeatlemania·45 rpm singles·banana-seat bikes
Data vs. Humans
What the data says
SSA Data
SSA: Bernadette peaked in 1958.
Estimated average age: 58.
What people think
Opinion LedgerAwaiting human data — cast the first votes.
Bernadette sounds like someone born in —
Fig. 2 — Style Coordinates
AI Seed · Votes Override at n=30 Vintage Modern
Formal Casual
Soft Strong
Cast your vote No account · one tap
In your mind, Bernadette sounds more like a —
Voting opens when the ledger goes live. No account. 24h cooldown per question.
Public Opinion Ledger
Ledger Opens Soon
The public has not yet weighed in on Bernadette. Early ballots carry the most weight.
* Early ballots — fewer than 30 cast so far. The ledger settles at 30.
First Impressions
AI-WrittenThe name suggests heavy winter coats, pleated skirts, and someone who knows the exact date Easter falls on three years from now. With an average bearer around age fifty-eight, it largely belongs to baby boomers and older Gen Xers. It carries the weight of a full three syllables that nobody successfully shortens without permission.
Field Notes
AI-WrittenField Note 01
Peak popularity landed squarely in 1958, when roughly one thousand girls received the name in a single year.
Field Note 02
Boomers account for forty-four percent of all living Americans with the name.
Field Note 03
A quiet uptick after decades of decline brought over two hundred newborn Bernadettes into the record in 2025.
Notable Bernadettes
AI-WrittenBernadette Petersactress and singer, b. 1948
Bernadette Mayerpoet and editor, b. 1945
Bernadette Devlinpolitical activist and parliamentarian, b. 1947
Ephemera — If Bernadette were a…
AI-WrittenCity
Scranton, Pennsylvania
Object
Pewter medal on a safety pin
Job
Parish council secretary
And what of your name?