Bernadette is a female given name of French origin and means "noble and brave". It was popularized by the story of Bernadette Soubirous, who was born in France in 1844 and later became a Catholic saint after claiming to have visions of the Virgin Mary at Lourdes. The name has also been used by several other notable figures throughout history, such as French actress Bernadette Lafont and American singer-songwriter Bernadette Peters. Despite its origins and history, Bernadette remains a relatively uncommon name today, with fewer than 10,000 people sharing this moniker in the United States alone.
Based on the statistics provided, it appears that the name Bernadette has had a relatively stable but low frequency of usage over the years in the United States. The highest number of births recorded with this name was in 1921, with only 7 newborns being named Bernadette that year.
From 1917 to 1980, there were a total of 135 babies named Bernadette across the United States. This shows that while it may not have been a particularly popular name during this period, it was still chosen for some children each year.
The years with the most births with the name Bernadette were in the late 1960s and early 1970s, with seven births occurring in both 1966 and 1967, six in 1968, seven in 1969, five in 1970, and five more in 1971.
Interestingly, there seems to be a gap in usage of the name Bernadette between 1928 and 1947, with no recorded births for this name during those years. However, it reappears in 1948 and continues to be used occasionally up until at least 1980.
Overall, while Bernadette may not have been a common name during the specified period, there were still some individuals who chose this unique moniker for their children each year.