Piret

Piret is the Estonian variant of the names Birgit and Birgitta, both of which can be traced back to different etymological origins.

What does the name Piret mean?

The first name Piret is regarded as the Estonian form of Birgit and Birgitta, both of which have different etymological roots. On one hand, Piret represents the feminine form of the name Birger and means 'the Helper', 'the Protector', or 'the Rescuer'. This meaning derives from the Old Norse verb bjarga, which means 'to help', 'to save', and 'to protect'. On the other hand, Piret could also be a Nordic variant of Brigitta or Brigitte, which has its origin in the Old Irish goddess of light, Brighid. In this context, the name means 'the Divine', 'the Exalted', and 'the High'. The origin can be found in Old Irish or Celtic, derived from the Celtic expression bríg or briganti, meaning 'high', 'powerful', 'exalted', and 'divine'. Saint Brigid of Kildare was active in the 5th and 6th centuries and is still regarded as the national saint of Ireland. Her fame led to the name becoming particularly popular in England and Ireland. Numerous Irish and Scottish missionaries brought her cult to Germany in the early Middle Ages, which led to the name spreading mainly in western and southern Germany. Other variants include Birgita, Birgid, Birgitte, and Birgitt.

Where does the name Piret come from?

Piret is a feminine first name that has both Old Norse and Celtic roots, carrying the meanings 'the High' or 'the Rescuer'. The Old Norse origin refers to the word bjarga, which means 'to help, to save, to protect', while the Celtic derivation comes from bríg or briganti, which can be translated as 'high, powerful, exalted, divine'. Additionally, brígh can be interpreted as 'Exalted, goddess of fire, power, strength, virtue'. The language of the name is Estonian.

How do you pronounce Piret?

Piret is pronounced like 'Piret', with the 'i' being short and stressed.

When is the name day of Piret?

The name days for Piret are February 1, July 23, and October 8.

Popularity

In Switzerland, the name Piret ranks 20,962nd in the official list of most common first names, with a total of 5 people bearing this name. The following distribution shows the presence of the name in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland: In Germany, Piret is 50% prevalent in Baden-Württemberg, while in Austria, 100% of the name bearers are found in Burgenland.

Famous people

• Piret Hamer (Estonian badminton player)
• Piret Järvis (guitarist and singer in 'Vanilla Ninja')
• Piret Raud (Estonian artist)
• Piret Rips (Estonian composer)