UK girl's name
Brigita
A feminine name of Irish origin meaning "strength" or "exalted one".
For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2013. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.
Brigita is a girl's name in the UK records. People looking for Brigita popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2013 in this profile. In that release it ranked #5742, with 3 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2008, with 5 births.
This profile covers 19 England and Wales registrations across 5 recorded years from 2006 to 2013. The figures come from ONS England and Wales, so the page is a view of published baby-name registrations rather than a forecast or a live count of people using the name today.
The latest count is about 60% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.
We estimate that about 19 living people in the UK are called Brigita. This uses published birth registrations from England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, then applies ONS national life tables to estimate how many are likely still alive. It does not forecast extra births for 2014 or 2026.
Key insights
- • Brigita ranked #5742 for girls in England and Wales in 2013, with 3 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 2008, when 5 girls were registered as Brigita.
- • About 19 living people in the UK are estimated to have Brigita as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
Latest rank (E&W)
#5742
2013
Births in 2013
3
Latest year
Peak year
2008
5 births
Estimated living
19
2026
Meaning
What does Brigita mean?
The name Brigita originated from the Old Irish Celtic name Briagait or Brighid, which means "exalted one" or "the high one". It is derived from the Celtic words bri, meaning "high" or "exalted", and gaid, meaning "fire" or "bright". The name has its roots in the ancient Celtic culture and is associated with the Irish goddess Brigid, who was revered as the goddess of fire, poetry, and healing.
The name Brigita appeared in various ancient Irish texts and manuscripts, including the Book of Armagh, a 9th-century manuscript that contains the earliest known written records of the name. The name was also mentioned in several early Christian hagiographies, or biographies of saints, as it was adopted by early Irish Christians and became a popular name among the faithful.
One of the earliest recorded individuals with the name Brigita was Saint Brigid of Kildare, an Irish abbess and Catholic saint who lived in the 5th and 6th centuries. She is considered one of the patron saints of Ireland and is celebrated on February 1st, which marks the beginning of spring in the Celtic calendar.
Another notable figure with the name Brigita was Birgitta Birgersdotter, also known as Saint Bridget of Sweden, a 14th-century mystic and founder of the Bridgettine Order. She was born in 1303 and is recognized as a patron saint of Sweden and Europe.
In the 16th century, Brigita of Poland, also known as Blessed Bronislava, was a Polish noblewoman and religious leader who founded the Benedictine convent in Nowy Sącz, Poland. She lived from 1473 to 1520.
Brigita Allerston, an English nun and writer, was born in the late 15th century and is known for her work "The Revelation of the Monk of Evesham", which recounts her spiritual visions and experiences.
Lastly, Brigita Hartmann, a German writer and poet, lived from 1776 to 1849 and gained recognition for her works exploring themes of love, nature, and spirituality.
These are just a few examples of notable individuals throughout history who bore the name Brigita, which has its roots in ancient Celtic culture and continues to be used across various regions and cultures today.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Brigita over time
The chart below shows babies named Brigita registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 2006 to 2013. Empty years are left out so rare names are not stretched across long periods where the published files do not show any registrations.
For Brigita, the clearest high point is 2008. The latest England and Wales figure is 3 births in 2013, compared with 5 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Brigita by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Brigita was a short-lived spike or a name that stayed in regular use. Average rank is calculated only from years where a published rank exists.
| Decade | Average rank | Total births | Years covered |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | #5115 | 11 | 3 |
| 2000s | #4461 | 8 | 2 |
Related
Names similar to Brigita
- Bethany 43,226
- Brooke 18,370
- Bella 14,112
- Bonnie 12,149
- Beatrice 11,306
- Bethan 7,968
- Beth 6,440
- Betsy 5,065
- Beatrix 4,317
- Billie 4,220
- Beau 3,231
- Bryony 3,167
FAQ
Brigita: questions and answers
How popular is the name Brigita in the UK right now?
In 2013, Brigita was ranked #5742 for girls in England and Wales, with 3 births registered.
When was Brigita most popular?
The peak year on record was 2008, with 5 babies registered as Brigita in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Brigita?
A feminine name of Irish origin meaning "strength" or "exalted one".
How many people are called Brigita in the UK?
A total of 19 babies have been registered as Brigita across the 5 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here.
Which records is this page based on?
The England and Wales timeline uses ONS baby-name records. Scotland figures come from NRS and Northern Ireland figures come from NISRA. Counts are registrations in published baby-name files. The living estimate uses those birth registrations with ONS national life tables.