Birgitta

Birgitta is the Swedish and Icelandic form of Bridget. Bridget derives from Old Irish Brigit, usually interpreted as “exalted one,” and is associated both with the goddess Brigid and Saint Brigid of Kildare. Saint Birgitta of Sweden, a fourteenth-century mystic and founder of the Bridgettine Order, gave this form major Scandinavian religious significance. Notable bearers include Icelandic politician and activist Birgitta Jónsdóttir and Swedish Olympic skier Birgitta Östenberg.