Beatrice

See also: Béatrice

English

Alternative forms

• Beats

Etymology

Either 1) from the Latin Beatrix, name of early Christian saints, from beatrix (“she who makes happy”), or 2) from viatrix (“female wayfarer, traveller”), influenced by beata.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈbiː(ə)tɹɪs/, /biˈætrɪs/
• (Philippine) IPA^(key): /beəˈtɹɪs/

• Audio (Southern England)

  (file)

Proper noun

Beatrice

1. A female given name from Latin.
   • 1598–1599 (first performance), William Shakespeare, “Much Adoe about Nothing”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act II, (please specify the scene number in lowercase Roman numerals)]:
     :Scene II:

     I, with your two helps, will so practise on Benedick that, in despite of his quick wit and his queasy stomach, he shall fall in love with Beatrice.

   • 1797, William Roscoe, chapter II, in The Life of Lorenzo di Medici, London:

     Petrarca had his Laura, and Dante his Beatrice, but Lorenzo has studiously concealed the name of the sovereign of his affections.

   • 2001, Anne Tyler, Back When We Were Grownups, Alfred A. Knopf, →ISBN, page 132:

     "Seventeen years old - a senior in high school. Beatrice, her name is."
     Beatrice! Rebecca was struck dumb with admiration. Beatrice would be a female version of Tristram. Rebecca pictured her in a modest muslin dress from the nineteeth century, although she knew that was unlikely.

2. A city, the county seat of Gage County, Nebraska, United States.

Usage notes

• Used in the Middle Ages and once again popular around 1900.

Translations

female given name

• Catalan: Beatriu (ca) f
• Dutch: Beatrijs, Beatrix (nl)
• Esperanto: Beatrica
• French: Béatrice (fr) f

  Middle French: Beatris f

• German: Beatrix (de) f
• Greek: Βεατρίκη (el) f (Veatríki)
• Italian: Beatrice (it) f
• Latin: Beātrīx f
• Latvian: Beatrise f
• Polish: Beata (pl) f
• Portuguese: Beatriz (pt) f
• Russian: Беатри́са (ru) f (Beatrísa), Беатри́с f (Beatrís)
• Scottish Gaelic: Beitris f
• Spanish: Beatriz (es) f
• Swedish: Beatrice (sv)
• Welsh: Betrys f

German

Pronunciation

• Audio

  (file)

Proper noun

Beatrice

1. a female given name, Italian and English variant of Beatrix

Italian

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /be.aˈtri.t͡ʃe/
• Rhymes: -itʃe
• Hyphenation: Be‧a‧trì‧ce

Proper noun

Beatrice f

1. a female given name, equivalent to English Beatrice

Anagrams

• berciate

Latin

Proper noun

Beātrīce

1. ablative singular of Beātrīx

Romanian

Pronunciation

• Audio

  (file)

Proper noun

Beatrice f

1. a female given name from Beatrice

Swedish

Pronunciation

• Audio

  (file)

Proper noun

Beatrice c (genitive Beatrices)

1. a female given name of Latin origin, used since the 19th century