Bernadette

Bernadette meaning

Bernadette is a Christian girl's name of Germanic origin (via French).

Bold as a bear; from bero 'bear' and harti 'hard, bold'

Also used to mean: brave as a bear

Bernadette is a French feminine form of Bernard, which comes from the Old High German name Bernhard, made of bero, 'bear', and harti, 'hard, bold, strong'. Name lists render it 'brave as a bear'. The name is known around the world through St Bernadette Soubirous, the young woman of Lourdes in France who reported visions of the Virgin Mary in 1858 and was canonised in 1933. Lourdes grottoes stand in many Indian parishes, and Catholic families in Kerala, Goa and Mangalore use the name.

Source: Online Etymology Dictionary (etymonline.com), s.v. Bernard · entry Bernard · See the entry · checked 25 Oct 2026

References: Online Etymology Dictionary, Bernard · Dictionary of Medieval Names, Berard · Wikipedia, Bernadette Soubirous

Famous namesakes

• St Bernadette Soubirous of Lourdes (1844–1879)

Related names

Also meaning courage

More names of Germanic origin

Browse more like this