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Birgit
How to Pronounce Birgit
Pronounced BEER-git /ˈbɪərɡɪt/Medium
Meaning: Birgit is a Scandinavian and German form of Bridget, ultimately from the Irish Brighid. Brighid was a Celtic goddess of poetry, healing and smithcraft, and later Saint Brigid of Kildare, whose name is usually read as 'exalted one' or 'the high one'. Carried north by devotion to Saint Birgitta of Sweden, the name settled into Nordic and German use as Birgit.Medium
Popularity in the U.S. · SSA data
U.S. births per year (Social Security Administration, 1880–present). Pink marker = peak year.
SSA data updated May 2026. How we source & verify this data.
History & Origin
Birgit is the Nordic and German form of Bridget, from the Irish Brighid, a goddess-then-saint name meaning 'exalted one'. Devotion to Saint Birgitta of Sweden spread the form across northern Europe, and immigrants brought it to America.
In United States records Birgit stayed rare, given to only a couple dozen girls a year at its mid-century high, largely within families of Scandinavian or German heritage. A Birgit from then would be a grandmother today, and the name keeps a crisp, distinctly Northern-European sound.
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Frequently Asked
What does the name Birgit mean?
It is a Scandinavian and German form of Bridget, from the Irish Brighid, meaning 'exalted one'.
How do you pronounce Birgit?
It is said BEER-git, two syllables with the stress on the first.
Is Birgit a boy or girl name?
Birgit is used as a girl's name.
Is Birgit a popular name?
No, Birgit was always rare in the United States, used mainly in Scandinavian and German families.