Dear Swistle,
I am pregnant with my first child, a girl, due in May. As a lifelong name enthusiast, I am astounded to find myself having such difficulty choosing a name for her. Our surname is long and Dutch and sounds similar to Vansanover. We are Americans currently living in London; we will more than likely be headed back to the US within the next several years, so we are most concerned with the popularity and perceptions of names from an American perspective.
We have narrowed our name search to three options, Bernadette, Florence and Felicity, with Bernadette being the current front-runner. I have always loved this name for its strong but charming meaning and the endless nickname possibilities (we particularly love Betty and Birdie but also like that she could choose something herself as she gets older).
The only thing holding me back from choosing Bernadette enthusiastically is that it has recently come to my attention that it is perceived as a Catholic name. Neither my husband nor I are religious. The religious connotation doesn’t bother us per se, especially since the meaning of the name is entirely secular. However, I realize her name will inform others’ perceptions of her, and I don’t really want everyone assuming she is a strictly observant Catholic without meeting her. My impression is that Brits are much more attuned to the Catholic connotation than Americans are, but it’s also possible I was oblivious to it in the US since the religious communities in my hometown were predominantly protestant. My British friends say it conjures an image of a mean old nun and that no one actually names their children Bernadette (i.e. it is only used as a nun’s religious name).
Her middle name will be Flynn, my mother’s maiden name, which seems to double down on the Catholic-ness.
How strong do you think the Catholic association with this name is in the US? Would you assume a girl named Bernadette came from a Catholic family? How much should this matter?
Thanks for you help!
Amy
HERE IS WHAT I THINK. I think there has been a major shift in using names formerly strongly associated with religion, and that this shift has happened within the last generation. I remember before my children were born encountering my first baby named Noah and being shocked, SHOCKED, that someone would use such a strikingly biblical name. I’d gone to Christian schools for middle school and college, and not even conservative evangelical Christians would use a name like Noah! Josiah, sure, and there were plenty of Davids and Sarahs and Matthews and Rebeccas, but not NOAH!
And now the name Noah is the number one most popular boy name in the United States, and there is no reason to assume the parents of any given Noah are religious. Also in style: Ezra, Elijah, Levi, Isaac, Asher, Isaiah, Ezekiel, Moses. Older generations may still find it a little shocking, especially if they are not baby-name hobbyists and so haven’t been keeping track of the trends—but the current kid-naming parents find these names completely mainstream/contemporary.
I used to think of the name Bernadette as Very Catholic. I’d known only two Bernadettes: a mom at the same daycare where I encountered my first Noah; and Bernadette-called-Benny in Maeve Binchy’s book Circle of Friends. I was also familiar with it as one of many Nun Names. All very very Catholic associations.
But now! Now if I encountered a baby named Bernadette, I might WONDER if the family was Catholic but, as with the name Noah, I would actually think it was more likely they were NOT religious. (Furthermore, I’d be DELIGHTED to encounter the name and its delightful nicknames.) I think it’s highly possible your friends who are appalled at this Mean Old Nun name are just in the same stage I was when I was shocked by a Noah, and that they will catch up soon. And I think in the U.S., even if people might at first wonder if the usage is for Catholic-related reasons, they will soon understand from other clues that it is not. I say it’s fabulous and I say USE IT. (But I also LOVE both your other choices, and would feel equally delighted to encounter either of those names.)
I am not a fan of the name, Bernadette, as the sounds seem harsh to my ear. However, it strikes me as more of an old fashioned name like Harriet, Eunice, Ethel or Maude than a Catholic name.
BTW, I love Birdie as a nickname.
I’m a practicing Catholic from the US, and while I do have a strong and immediate thought of St. Bernadette and Our Lady of Lourdes when I hear the name, it doesn’t come with an assumption that the name bearer is Catholic. I’d just think, “Oh, Bernadette… Like the saint. Or Peters.” I think it’s a lovely, elegant name with a few positive associations, including St. Bernadette.
I teach at a private, Catholic school in the midwest here in America. Even here, I don’t think it would be strongly associated with religion, and instead seen more as an unpopular-but-recognizable-older-vintage name. It’s beautiful, and I think you should use it if you love it so much! Also squealing over the potential nicknames.
I ABSOLUTELY LOVE the Name Bernadette and wish I would have used it for one of my daughters. I especially love Bernadette with the nickname Birdie. I used to assume anyone who used the name was Catholic but maybe that is because I’m a name nerd and give more thought to names than others. The one little Bernadette who I know does happen to be Catholic but I don’t think the name is as tied to the religion as it once was. I wholeheartedly encourage you to use it. That said, I do also love Florence and Felicity with the middle name Flynn.
I think the name Bernadette and its nicknames are great! I do think people might occasionally assume she’s Catholic, but I don’t think that’s a big deal (and the Catholic school/nun thing is going to be less of an association in the US I think).
My third child is named Francine and when we named her a couple of years ago we weren’t even thinking about the current Pope Francis and how some people would assume her name is in honor of the pope (we are not Catholic, which is why the association never crossed our minds). Coincidentally, both of my older children have saints names as well–we just like classic-but-not-too-popular names and a lot of that style also happens to be saints names–so a few times in the past couple of years I’ve had new aquaintances make the assumption that we are Catholic. I just laugh it off and explain that no, we just happened to like saints names. It hasn’t felt like a problem to me at all.
Not to mention that since there were a helluva lot of saints, there are a lot of different saint-names.
My primary association with the name Bernadette is with the Four Tops song “Bernadette.” I think of Bernadette as a woman who was very desirable in the 60s and would be in her seventies or eighties today. Like the first commenter, it strikes me as generally vintage but not currently popular, like Josephine or Bernice.
I’m in a religiously diverse East Coast American city. I had to rack my brain to think of why I might associate Bernadette with Catholicism, and in doing so I remembered “Cha-cha, the best dancer at Saint Bernadette’s” from the movie Grease, and remembered that of course there is a saint by that name. But that was as close as I came. It’s not a visceral association or one I would make unless asked. I am not up on my saints at all, but neither are lots of other people, I’m guessing.
There is so much biblical/cultural name borrowing that I think lots of young Americans do not make the same assumptions past generations would make. If I met a little Mary Catherine or Francis, I would probably assume the parents were Catholic, but probably nothing short of that. Definitely not Bernadette.
I agree with everyone else. If I encountered a wee Bernadette, I might casually wonder if they were Catholic and then never think about it again, really. I know one Bernadette who is around my age (early 30s), and I think it’s a wonderful name.
This too. I meant to add that even if I did assume Bernadette’s parents were Catholic, it would be a passing, neutral assumption. But I probably wouldn’t. To say I would “wonder” would even be putting it too strongly.
I met one Bernadette, and she was my age (so late 30s/early 40s now), and she was so cool and fun, very lovely conversationalist and a talented musician. Not Catholic at all. It’s a great name!
The only Bernadette I know is from The Big Bang Theory 😀
I was thinking the same thing! She goes by Burnie, yes?
Yes, but I think they chose that name to highlight the “little Catholic girl” shtick that Howard has with his mother.
Given that Leonard and Penny have both risen tremendously and I assume the show has something to do with that.
I live in the Midwest & Bernadette doesn’t sound super Catholic to me- I wouldn’t associate it that way. I’d say it falls into vintage names and is actually not becoming “popular” exactly, but definitely coming up on people’s radar. I think the recent book/movie & now there is a song that uses the name too are bringing it positive attention. I like it & love the nicknames & would be especially sweet on a little girl who might have an English accent!
NYC resident here, not religious but aware of diverse religious naming. I would never think Catholic with Bernadette.
I would think A) the Motown song (and be tempted to sing it… you should anticipate getting that reaction) and B) Brooklyn hipster. Like, “oh, her siblings are probably Atticus and Edith.” So, slightly tryhard. But a great name!
Similar vibe with Florence and Felicity. I like your style! Congrats!
I have two associations with Bernadette, both of which are positive! The first is Bernadette Peters, a phenomenal broadway actress I was lucky enough to see perform. Ever since then I have loved the name and associate it was a fun and spunky firecracker of talent. Due to the character Sister Bernadette on the BBC show “Call the Midwife”, the name has a bit of a religious feel to me as well; however, Sister Bernadette was an Anglican nun so to me it’s not strictly Catholic. I think it’s a fabulous name with loads of potential nicknames. I especially love Birdie! Good luck and congratulations!
My first association with the name is also Berbedette Peters! My second is its French origins. So lovely!
If you love it and its nicknames, go for it!
So your style is the same as mine, saints names, (Felicity, Bernadette and Florence/Florentina are all “Saint Names”). I live in Texas and I would assume a Bernadette was Catholic, but how harmful if this association? If I grew to know her I’d learn she wasn’t Catholic, no big deal. Also it sounds like she may go by a nickname and that father reduces the association . I LOVE the nickname Betty. So charming! A Catholic friend considered Bernadette (and did not use it, as she only had boys) but she was planning on using big the nickname Etta.
I’m not Catholic, I have a son named Peter which reads vaguely Catholic in use right now (as in it’s a classic name that has fallen out of style and the people I know using it currently are Catholic). It hasn’t been a problem or even noted by people.
I’m Catholic and would assume that Bernadette’s family was Catholic, but wouldn’t be surprised if I found they weren’t.
My strongest association is with the character Bernadette in Big Bang Theory, and in all the years it has been on, it never occurred to me the character might be Catholic. It is clear in the early episodes she came from a Christian family, but I never thought “hmm, name like that, she must be Catholic.” And I am a name nerd and mildly Catholic.
Older people and movie buffs may recall the mainstream film Song of Bernadette from the 1940s which was about the life of the saint.
Neither association is negative.
My first impression of the name is that it is clunky and fustily old fashioned. As a name nerd I know it is following in the steps of other names that, until recently, had a similar feel. People might ask if it is a family name, or if you got it from Big Bang Theory (that will happen less as the years go by). Those who are themselves very Catholic or familiar with traditional Catholic naming may ask/assume you are Catholic, but that doesn’t mean anything. There is no single social/political Catholic demographic in the US. And they won’t assume anything about how religious she is in 20-30 years.
I love Bernadette and I don’t have any strong associations with anything for the name. Please use it!
For what it’s worth, I love the name Evangeline and am not at all religious. If I had had a second daughter, I would have likely used it.
To be fair, I was not raised in a religious household, but I had NO IDEA Bernadette was an even vaguely religious name, much less strongly Catholic. (I was born & raised in NJ and have lived in the DC area since college, if that helps/matters!). The main association I have with the name is the book “Where’d You Go, Bernadette” :) I love it and think you should use it!
I was stretching my brain to figure out why someone thought Bernadette was Catholic…I thought about French first, I thought about old-fashioned names (that are currently coming back in style), I thought of Bernadette from Big Bang Theory.
It took a little while before Saint Bernadette or Sister Bernadette popped into my head. Even then, just made me think of pop culture references more than “this name is Catholic”. Like someone else mentioned, Cha Cha’s line from ‘Grease’ came to me (“…I’m the best dancer at Saint Bernadette’s”).
So many people name kids after all kinds of biblical names whether they even realize it or not….this name doesn’t exactly say “Ohhh so Catholic!” to me….but I also now wonder if I’ve ever had that thought about anything. I don’t think I have.
I also know it from the book ‘Where’d you go, Bernadette’, which is coming out as a movie, too.
Unsure if you’ve considered it but Bridget is lovely, versatile, and has the nickname of Birdie, too. Last, we know a girl in our area named Flynn and it works well-you could always go Flynn Bernadette…
I love names AND was raised Catholic (and Canadian, if that makes a difference), and didn’t know it was a Catholic name!
I grew up in a highly Catholic part of the country, and while some names have a strong Catholic association for me, Bernadette does not. It strikes me as a bit of a fusty “old lady” name (which I rather like) but not specifically Catholic. FWIW, I don’t actually recall knowing anyone with the name Bernadette-though I have known a couple of Bernards.
My guess is this is probably a very region specific type of thing. Many names that seemed like “normal names” to me growing up were Very Catholic to others, simply because of lack of personal associations. I also agree with Swistle that in general, names are losing their strong religious associations in the U.S. I say use the name you love (it really is wonderful). She has great nicknames or even her middle name to fall back on if/when she finds herself in a location where her given name gives people an impression she would prefer they not have.
I grew up with a very Irish sounding 1st and last name (and my brothers is even more Irish sounding). I’m also a redhead. And it was often assumed that we were an Irish Catholics family. We aren’t. This was never a big deal and I never gave it much thought. But! when it came time to name my own children, it was important to me to chose names that exist in many cultures. Other people’s assumptions about my name never bothered me per se, but it’s not something I’d ever say “I’m so glad people think I’m Irish catholic!” about. It just always made me feel mismatched with my name—less so after I changed my last name when I married. I do think there is a catholic connotation with Bernadette so I guess you have to ask yourself if your daughter will feel “at home” in the name. People assuming she’s catholic isn’t a big deal (who cares!) but a name is very personal and I can say it feels a little strange (not VERY strange, though) to feel mismatched with my name. I like the spirit of Bernadette (it’s sturdy and independent and capable) maybe there’s another name that also captures that feeling for you. I like the name Theodora and love the nicknames Thea or Teddy. I also think you can use the nn Birdie for just about any classic-feeling girls name. I wouldn’t bat an eye if someone told me “Her name is Florence/Felicity/Harriet/Louisa but we call her Birdie”
Congratulations on your daughter!
The “Birdie” I know in real life is almost two and her given name is Louise.
Lately I’ve come across several “fundamentalist” Catholic bloggers using the name Bernadette, so I would say that, I have come to expect that Bernadette will be popular in observant Catholic families. Other names in that vein include Peter, John (esp John Paul), Zelie, some variation of Lucy, Mary . . . I’m sure there are more . . . Francis for a boy is another one. However, I have a John and a Peter (famiy names from our Catholics families) but we are not Catholic and I don’t think anyone assumes we are when they hear our kids names. If I heard Mary Bernadette, I would assume Catholic, but if I heard Bernadette Flynn, I would think MAYBE Catholic.
I do read it as a historically religious name, but one that isn’t used that way now.
The food blogger Molly Yeh, who is of Jewish and Chinese heritage and now lives on a beet farm in the Midwest, named her adorable baby daughter Bernadette. So I think you are on the cusp on a trend!
Also I love the name Bernadette. You should use it!!!
“Bernadette is Catholic?”
That was my first thought.
“Isn’t that the name in OK, It’s Alright With Me by Eric Hutchinson?”
That was my second thought. And, yes, it is. Charming, too.
I live in the PNW of the US, and have never met a Bernadette, but I would be delighted to!
Lovely choice. Get taste! Congrats!
Felicity Flynn gives me all the 😍😍😍😍 heart eyes. I am not a fan of the sound of Bernadette (and the only one I know is a 50+ yr old friend of my Dad’s) but I do adore all the nicknames you want to use from it.
My strongest association with Bernadette is also Bug Bang Theory. But it’s 1) not a bad association and 2) not a strong enough association to feel exclusive. When I read the question I thought “Hmm…yeah I think Bernadette was supposedly Catholic in the show”. But I never would have thought of that if the question weren’t directly asked.
I like it. For data- I’m in the US Midwest, and grew up close to Catholic grandparents.
I admit when I read the title I thought, “Bernadette? DEFINITELY a nun. In a habit. Sister Bernadette,” and I’m not, nor have I ever been, a Roman Catholic. But I think Swistle is right that times are changing. I’m of the elderly persuasion, and probably younger people wouldn’t even think of it.
I was wondering why it was considered Catholic too. I have a lot of associations withe Bernadette — being Catholic was not among them. But then again, I know plenty of Joes and Christians and it didn’t occur to me that those are religious either. They just seem so generic white American that I didn’t associate it with the religion per se, which admittedly seems crazy now. I think the hipster comment will probably be the biggest way she’s be “tagged”, for whatever that is worth.
I love Bernadette Flynn! It fits right into the category of older names that now sound stylish, and this particular name has the snappy French “ette” ending that makes names sound strong and feminine.
I would not have thought about the religious connotation before reading this. I would’ve thought about Bernadette Peters. Now that you mention it, the story about the saint comes to mind along with a character from Call the Midwife, but I don’t think I would’ve gotten there on my own.
Also, Sister Bernadette is not a mean old nun, she’s a lovely young nun, who ends up falling in love and leaving the Order. She’s a positive association for me too :).
Repeating some other comments, I was raised Catholic and literally only knew other Catholic people as a child and I don’t associate Bernadette as a Catholic name. I get the “grandma/hipster” vibe. The only Bernadette I can think of is also from Big Bang Theory. Also LOVE the nickname Birdie!
Added info: I’m from the US Midwest.
Two thoughts:
1) I grew up in a Catholic community in the Midwest and while I would be LESS surprised to encounter the name Bernadette in that context, I would not assume that a Bernadette was Catholic. It just sounds like a lovely, classic name (that I would have loved to have used with my daughter! Jealous!)
2) I had the same concerns when we named our baby Ira, not because it sounded Catholic but because my mother told me that it was an *exclusively* Jewish name and we are not Jewish. I have zero issues with people assuming that we are Jewish but my mother felt that it was misleading or possibly even cultural misappropriation. We decided to go with it anyway and no one has ever made that assumption or said anything about it (not to us, anyway). I asked multiple Jewish friends how they felt about it before and after the baby was born and they all said that it has Hebrew roots but that it is by no means an exclusively Jewish name nor would they automatically assume that a kid named Ira was Jewish. Most names have multiple points of origin (especially when you think about pronunciations and spellings across languages) and I’ve found that it’s more to do with the personal associations that people have with them as opposed to their actual meaning or usage these days. We love the name Ira and I would have been so sad that we didn’t use it simply because my mom had specific assumptions about it.
Hear, hear!
Well said!
Totally agree with this. If we’d taken to heart what our parents had said about our oldest’s name, we wouldn’t have used it. Five kids more now, and grandparents love EVERYONE’S names and each of their sweet faces.
(All the kids like their names, too!)
Don’t settle.
My Issue with Bernadette isn’t necessarily the Catholic association but the fact that Bernadette Flynn Vansanover is a lot of name.
Suggestions –
Etta Flynn
Gemma Flynn
Martha Flynn
Zara Flynn
Willa Flynn
Lyra Flynn
Cassia Flynn
Antonia Flynn
Mckenna Flynn
Dorothy Flynn
Vera Flynn
Rosalie Flynn
Sabrina Flynn
Nadia Flynn
Lucia Flynn
Lara Flynn
Julia Flynn
Cara Flynn
Fiona Flynn
Lilia Flynn
I’m Catholic and I do have an association with Bernadette and Catholicism, but it’s not the only association (there’s the song). However, I would never assume a Bernadette is Catholic. All kinds of names used by lots of different people today.
There is an up-and-coming youtuber Bernadette Banners who is very charming, recreates Victorian dresses (mostly by hand) and is my only association with the name.
I am also very Catholic and wouldn’t assume a baby Bernadette to be Catholic…unlike baby John-Paul or baby Faustina, both of whom I know from my Catholic Mom’s group.
I love it! I grew up Catholic & would not assume it was Catholic. Bernadette Peters & the book Where’d you go are my first associations.
And my kids are N0@h J@c0b & M@tthew D@v1d and we are not religious at all. They were just the names we liked.
I grew up in a city that is predominantly Catholic and endured 12 years of Catholic school filled with nuns, and I don’t identify Bernadette as a specifically Catholic name at all!
I’m no longer a practicing Catholic, but as far as I can remember, Catholic names are just names of saints, which includes such a wide variety of names; all the classics (James, John, Elizabeth, Catherine, etc) along with very popular current names like Emma.
For what it’s worth, Florence and Felicity are also saint names, which in my opinion makes them equally as Catholic as Bernadette i.e. not identifiably Catholic.
I say choose the name you like the most!
I’m Catholic, from the US, and actively naming children. I think Bernadette is a great name, and I love the nickname Birdie (really, love it!) And no, I don’t think Bernadette is necessarily a Catholic name…. The one baby Bernadette I know isn’t Catholic.
I think maybe a few decades back maybe it used to be, (along with Mary ____ [Claire/Beth/Kate etc.] and a few other names) but just like Swistle pointed out with the mainstreaming of biblical names, times are changing. By the time your daughter goes out into the world there will be even more space between those old assumptions of what is a Catholic name and what her peers will be thinking. (Hopefully the old stereotype of crabby nuns with rulers will have died away too.)
For what it’s worth, (although it’s probably more info than is really relevant to your particular question,) there is a subset of very Catholic names, but they’re not what most people think. Names like Bosco, Fulton, Vianney, Stellamaris, Avila, Zelie, and Kateri immediately would make me guess a family was Catholic. But most Catholic parents prefer names that are less unusual. (If anyone is interested in the topic, sanctanomina.net is a Catholic naming blog.)
I notice a few commenters have pointed out that the other names on your short list are saints names too, but don’t let that stop you. The vast majority of names in use today belonged to (or are connected to) a saints name, probably only with the exception of some of the more modern favorites.
Oh, and Flynn is a lovely middle. I kept trying to think why it would make the name Bernadette seem more Catholic, but I couldn’t come up with anything. I think you have a great short list, and any of your choices will be good!
I think the amplifying effect of Flynn that people are referring to is because Flynn is an Irish name and Ireland is (historically) a Catholic country.
I do think of Bernadette as a Catholic name, but I am English. The only irl Bernadette I know is an older woman from an Irish Catholic family, who goes by Bernie.
I didn’t associate Bernadette with Catholicism so much as with French names! I say use it. Looks like it peaked in the 40s, so perhaps your friends had 40 year old nun teachers in the 80’s? Pfffft!
I happen to love the Bernadette character in Where’d You Go Bernadette! Bonus.
I have known three Bernadettes IRL (plus, yes, the one in “Where’d You Go, Bernadette!), and every time have been positively gleeful to come across the name. I was raised Catholic (in Texas)–although more of the “church on holidays, most of the time” type than the “strictly observant” type–I never went to Catholic school, although I had friends who did–and I NEVER KNEW that this name was associated with Catholicism or nuns until I read your email just now!
Also, BIRDIE! Oh my goodness, bring me the smelling salts.
Go for it!!! <3
Not Catholic, and my first thought was definitely not, “Oh, what a Catholic name.” My only religious pop culture association is Sister Bernadette from Call The Midwife, but as someone else said, she was an Anglican nun, not Catholic. I LOVE the name Bernadette (It’s on my shortlist!) so I’d probably be supportive even if it did seem like a heavily Catholic name.
P.S. Someone mentioned Felicity Flynn, and while I do love love love Bernadette (and Florence too), Felicity Flynn is just *kisses fingers* It is FANTASTIC. Love the nicknames Flick and Lucky for Felicity.
Bernadette doesn’t sound Catholic at all to me. Probably because i mostly associate the name with a fictional Navaho police woman named Bernadette Manuelito. I like Officer Bernie; she’s decent and kind-natured.
I am Catholic with a baby daughter and Bernadette was on our list. To me it says Catholic and I *would* be surprised to hear of a non-Catholic Bernadette, but it seems like I’m in the minority. I don’t think that’s a reason for you not to use it though, especially with the charming nickname options!
(We also considered Felicity and I’m having a bit of regret we didn’t choose it!)
My mother’s confirmation name is Bernadette, so yeah, totally Catholic association for me. But I don’t think that’s a reason to avoid it, honestly. And I say this as a lapsed Catholic myself.
I only know one Bernadette personally, and I always assumed she was from an atheist Jewish family like my own, but looking up her last name, it’s more likely that they were lapsed Catholics instead. Hmmm.
And also, of course, Bernadette Peters.
In this day and age, I wouldn’t associate any particular name with any particular religion with the exceptions of Jesus or Mohammad maybe.
Bernadette Flynn is perfect. Do it!!!
I live in a super Christian area and had no idea Bernadette was a “catholic” name. I do not think it is a concern at all.
If it helps, Molly Yeh-famous young cook online and she has a TV show named her little baby girl Bernadette and she’s Jewish and Chinese. I don’t think people will assume your baby is Catholic at all.
My first thought was Bernadette Banners, as someone mentioned above. Beautiful, articulate. vintage costume designer.
https://www.instagram.com/bernadettebanner/?hl=en
And Birdie is just the cutest nickname ever.
So a few years ago my cousin mentioned his girlfriend’s name was Bernadette and my instant reaction was “Oh! She’s Catholic!”. And she was. She goes by Detti.
Another possibility is people assuming you’re fans of “The Big Bang Theory”. But I think the series helped emphasize the association with Catholicism, because the character is Catholic.
Here’s the thing. I know a highly religious family of four kid who are all named after popes. I’ve discussed it with the mom exactly once, when she was pregnant and joking that the new pope’s name worked either way (and she got her girl, named Frances.) But other than that? I don’t think any individual kids get bothered by it, not even JP.
I just don’t think it’s a major issue. Even if people do assume she’s Catholic, are they going to mention it? Is it going to make a difference? Use it if you love it.
There’s a St. Bernadette church in my city, but if not for that I wouldn’t have known it was a Catholic name. And I have many Catholic family members. I would not assume a child named that is Catholic!
So I known this is a late reply but I wanted to add that I didn’t know Bernadette was a Catholic name at all. My great grandma was Anna Bernadette, went by Bernie, and they were Pennsylvania Deutch, and very a strict protestant (I think Methodist but I’m not entirely sure)
So I don’t think it’s a problem to use the name. (Personally I’m a fan)
My two thoughts: as a (former) Catholic, I would never have thought of Bernadette as a Catholic name. The two references that come to mind are “Where’d You Go, Bernadette?” and Bernadette Peters.
Second, my daughter’s name is Eden. When I first suggested it to my husband, he was a little reluctant at first because it seemed a little biblical and we are not religious. But after talking about it, we decided to use it anyway and we love it. The only time anyone makes any sort of biblical reference is that sometimes people who don’t know her well/have only been introduced once call her Eve instead of Eden.