Comments for the name Berenice

According to an ancient myth, Berenice was a beautiful wife of an Egyptian king, who went to a war leaving his wife home grief-stricken and worry-sick. Berenice promised to cut off her gorgeous hair as a tribute to the gods if they let her husband come home unharmed, and when the king eventually returned alive, she kept her promise and sacrifised her hair to the gods, placing the cut hair into an empty temple. Shortly after that the king, longing to see his wife's beautiful hair again, visited the temple only to find no sight of Berenice's hair. It appeared that the gods had enjoyed their gift so much that they had placed Berenice's hair in the sky, where it shimmered every night as a constellation. That's why there still is a constellation called Berenice's hair.

'Berenice' is also the title of a horror short story by Edgar Allan Poe, which features, quite obviously, a character who bears this name.

Berenice was the name (or the English form) of Cleopatra VII's older sister.

I know of someone who pronounces this name "bur-NEES" (as if it was "Bernice"). In my frank opinion, coupling that pronunciation with the spelling "Berenice" gives the name a certain elegance; it just rolls off one's tongue that way. Pronounce it "ber-e-NIE-see" or "be-re-NEE-che"? No offence, but I'm afraid that doesn't hold with me.

Pronounced beh-reh-nees in French.

Opera by Handel where the setting is ancient Spain at the time of the Roman invasions contains the exquisite 'Minuet from Berenice'.

Berenice Abbott was an American photographer. She lived from 1898-1991. She is best known for her black-and-white photos of New York City architecture.

Argentine-French actress Berenice Bejo, recently nominated for an Oscar for her role in The Artist.