Beatrice (given name)

Beatrice
Dante Gabriel Rossetti's depiction of Dante's Beatrice in Beata Beatrix
PronunciationEnglish: /ˈb(ə)trɪs/ BEE-(ə-)triss
Italian: [beaˈtriːtʃe]
GenderFemale
Origin
Word/nameLatin
Meaning"bringer of joy, blessings"
Other names
Related namesBeatrix, Béatrice, Beatriz

Beatrice (/ˈb(ə)trɪs/ BEE-(ə-)triss, Italian: [beaˈtriːtʃe])[1] is a female given name. The English variant is derived from the French Béatrice, which came from the Latin Beatrix, which means "blessed one".[2]

Beatrice is also the Italian language version of Beatrix. The Spanish and Portuguese form is Beatriz. The popularity of Beatrice spread because of Dante Alighieri's poetry about the Florentine woman Beatrice Portinari. Dante presents Beatrice as being worthy of speaking for God, making her a holy individual.[3]

The name is rising in popularity in the United Kingdom. It is also gaining popularity in the United States, where it ranked as the 691st most popular name for baby girls born in 2012. In 2009, it was the 45th most common baby name for girls born in Romania.[4]

  1. ^ Random House Unabridged Dictionary
  2. ^ "Beatrice | Etymology, origin and meaning of the name beatrice by etymonline".
  3. ^ Approaches to teaching Dante's Divine comedy. Slade, Carole., Cecchetti, Giovanni, 1922-1998. New York, N.Y.: Modern Language Association of America. 1982. ISBN 0873524780. OCLC 7671339
  4. ^ "Popular Names in Romania 2009".