Britta

A girl's name of Swedish origin with 3,668 recorded U.S. births.

Girl's name#5809 in 2024Declining

Meaning & Origin

a female given name from Swedish

Britta is a girl's baby name of Swedish origin, a Swedish and Norwegian diminutive of Birgitta or Bridget, from the Irish Brigid, from the Old Irish brigh (power, strength, virtue), meaning 'strength' or 'the high one.'

With nearly 3,700 recorded births, Britta is the specifically Scandinavian form of Bridget — it carries the legacy of Saint Bridget of Sweden (1303-1373), one of the most important medieval mystics and patron saint of Europe. In the United States, Britta gained contemporary visibility through the character Britta Perry in the television comedy Community. The name has a clean, Nordic confidence.

EtymologyShow more

The ending of a name often carries more etymological information than the beginning. Britta's final sounds are open, warm — a soft ending that crosses many language boundaries. In English-language naming, many feminine names end on open vowels or soft consonants, creating a melodic, approachable quality. Britta follows that feminine pattern.

Explore the ending-based name pages on this site to find names that share Britta's suffix pattern — names with similar endings often share a style and era, even when they come from different linguistic backgrounds.

At a Glance

3,668

Total births

Since 1916

1986

Peak

191 births

1916

First recorded

109 years of data

Compare Britta with another name

Popularity Over Time

Britta was #4107 twenty years ago and has since drifted to #5809, but its charm endures.

First appeared: 1916Peak: 1986 (191 births)Current: #5809

Popularity by Decade

Decade-by-decade popularity data for Britta
Decade	Births	Avg Rank	Trend
2020s	146	#4770	▼
2010s	421	#3706	▲
2000s	324	#4388	▼
1990s	830	#1968	▼
1980s	1,014	#1422	▲
1970s	496	#1873	▲
1960s	296	#2255	▲
1950s	63	#4611	▲
1940s	52	#3839	▲
1930s	11	#4095	▲
1920s	10	#5164	▲
1910s	5	#4509	—

The Story of Britta

A Millennial name

Peaking in 1986, Britta is a Millennial-era classic. Girls named Britta are most likely born between 1976 and 1996.

How rare is Britta?

Only about 1 in every 171,429 babies born in 2024 was named Britta — a truly uncommon choice.

The journey through the decades

First appeared in the records in 1916, gained momentum through the mid-century, peaked in the 1980s with 1,014 births that decade, and has since become a rare, vintage choice.

Britta by the numbers

Would fill 76 school buses
Meeting one Britta per day would take 10 years

Year-by-Year Data

View complete yearly data(85 years, 1916–2024)

Year-by-year popularity data for the name Britta
Year	Births	Rank	Change
2024	21	#5809	-6 (-22.2%)
2023	27	#4889	+3 (12.5%)
2022	24	#5337	-12 (-33.3%)
2021	36	#4030	-2 (-5.3%)
2020	38	#3787	+6 (18.8%)
2019	32	#4359	-6 (-15.8%)
2018	38	#3864	-10 (-20.8%)
2017	48	#3311	+7 (17.1%)
2016	41	#3721	-17 (-29.3%)
2015	58	#2969	+20 (52.6%)
2014	38	#3936	-5 (-11.6%)
2013	43	#3584	+4 (10.3%)
2012	39	#3931	-5 (-11.4%)
2011	44	#3556	+4 (10.0%)
2010	40	#3830	+7 (21.2%)
2009	33	#4502	0
2008	33	#4561	+2 (6.5%)
2007	31	#4707	-8 (-20.5%)
2006	39	#3866	+12 (44.4%)
2005	27	#4856	-7 (-20.6%)

Source: U.S. Social Security Administration. Showing years with 5+ recorded births.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Britta a boy's or girl's name?

Britta is primarily a girl's name.

When was Britta most popular?

Britta reached its peak popularity in 1986 with 191 births that year. It is currently ranked #5809 in the U.S.

How popular is the name Britta?

Britta is currently ranked #5809 in the U.S. (2024). It has been given to 3,668 babies since 1916.

Explore More

By Length6-letter names By OriginSwedish names By EndingNames in -a TrendingRising names RankingsFull rankings

Data source: U.S. Social Security Administration, 1916–2024