Meaning: Its source is Brigit, a Gaelic name meaning "Exalted one."

Languages: This girl's name is used in Dutch, English and French.

Nicknames: Gitte

Popularity: The name Brigitte ranked 980th in popularity for females of all ages in a sample of the 1990 US Census.

Narrative: In pre-Christian Irish mythology, Brigit was the goddess of poetry.

After the fall of the Roman Empire, several Irish missionaries with this name gained fame, and eventually sainthood, for re-introducing Christianity to Northern Europe. Their widespread influence helps explain the widespread popularity of this name, and the development of its many forms and spellings.