Gender Feminine
Pronounced Pron. beh-A-triks(German) BEH-a-triks(German) BEH-aw-treeks(Hungarian) BEH-ya-triks(Dutch) BEE-ə-triks(English) BEE-triks(English)  [key·IPA]

Meaning & History

Probably from Viatrix, a feminine form of the Late Latin name Viator meaning "voyager, traveller". It was a common name amongst early Christians, and the spelling was altered by association with Latin beatus "blessed, happy". Viatrix or Beatrix was a 4th-century saint who was strangled to death during the persecutions of Diocletian.

In England the name became rare after the Middle Ages, but it was revived in the 19th century, more commonly in the spelling Beatrice. Famous bearers include the British author and illustrator Beatrix Potter (1866-1943), the creator of Peter Rabbit, and Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands (1938-).

Related Names

VariantsBeatrice(English) Viatrix(Late Roman)
DiminutivesBea(Hungarian) Bea(Dutch) Bea, Bee, Trix, Trixie(English)
Masculine FormViator(Late Roman)
Other Languages & CulturesBeatriu(Catalan) Béatrice(French) Beatrice, Bice(Italian) Beatrise(Latvian) Beatrycze(Polish) Beatriz, Bia(Portuguese) Beatrice(Romanian) Beitris(Scottish Gaelic) Beatriz(Spanish) Beatrice(Swedish) Betrys(Welsh)
User SubmissionBéatrix

Popularity

People think this name is

classic   mature   formal   upper class   wholesome   strong   refined   strange   complex   serious  

Name Days

Austria: January 17
Austria: March 12
France: July 29
Germany: January 2
Hungary: August 29

Categories

Entry updated June 13, 2019