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Dictionary of Medieval Names
from European Sources
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Beatrice f. Latin beatrix 'she who blesses, makes happy, delights'.

The name of a 4th C Roman martyr, a 12th C queen consort of Sicily, a 13th C queen consort of Sicily, a 13th C queen of the Romans, a 13th C Italian saint, a 13th C queen of Hungary, a 13th C Holy Roman empress, a 13th C queen consort of Portugal, a 14th C queen of Portugal, a 14th C queen of Bohemia, a 14th C queen of Germany, a 14th C queen consort of Hungary, a 14th C queen of Sweden, a 15th C Portuguese saint, and a 15th C queen of Hungary and Bohemia.

The English diminutives Bet and Beton are witnessed in 1379 in the relational bynames Betsoñ (WRYPT1 p. 159) and Betonsoñ (WRYPT1 p. 18).

Brabant
Latin
● 1312 Beatricis (gen) JeanIII p. 26, Beatrix (nom) ibid. p. 21
Czech Republic
Latin
● 1349 Beatrici (dat) chlumecky 33
England
Latin
● 1189 Beatrix (nom) GASurv p. 237; 1222 Beatricis (nom) StPaulDom p. 53, Beatrix (nom) ibid. p. 16, bratricis (gen) ibid. p. 71; 1279–80 Beatrix (nom) WaHR-SK p. 43; 1300 Beatrix (nom) ProcSuf-vol3 p. 240; 1340xc1450 Beatricia (nom) CovGuild-1 p. 6, Beatrix (nom) ibid. p. 20; 1377 Beatrix (nom) FenPT-2 p. 6; 1379 Beatrix (nom) WRYPT1 p. 2, Betrix (nom) ibid. p. 8; 1381 Beatrice (abl) Suffolk1381 p. 93, Beatrix (nom) FenPT-2 p. 6, Suffolk1381 p. 69; 1431 Beatrici (dat) WillsInv LVI
Middle English
● 1395 Beatrice EEW p. 6; 1411 Beatrice ibid. p. 19; 1424–25 Beatrice ibid. p. 58; 1454 Bartrice ibid. p. 133
Early Modern English
● 1530 Beatrice LIWill-III p. 56, Beatrix ibid. p. 27, Beteres ibid. p. 45, Betterys ibid. p. 8; 1533 betress WillsInv LXXXIII; 1541 Beatrixe StNick-Sf p. 1; 1546 Beatrice ExMar p. 1; 1551 Betteresse RegIng p. 3; 1555/6 Betteresse ibid. p. 4; 1556/57 Bettresse PRThirsk p. 2; 1559 Beatryx BarnstapleBap; 1563 Betteris StAnthonlin p. 16; 1564 Betteris BUmar-vol2 p. 116; 1581 Bettres COmar-vol5 p. 6; 1592 Betteresse BEmar-vol2 p. 131
◑ 1541 Beten BarnstapleBap p. 2; 1580 Beaton COmar-vol2 p. 101; 1581 Beaton DEmar-vol2 p. 6
France
Latin
● 11thC Beatrix (nom) StVdM-II 711; 1083 Biatris (nom) St-Bernard-Romans 127; 1094 Beatrix (nom) StVdM-II 686; 1147 Beatrix (nom) clairvaux-12thc 14; 1179 Beatrice (abl) ibid. 177, Beatricis (gen) ibid. 169; 1201 Beatrix (nom) CartNDdOurscamp LXI; 1301 Beatricis (gen) MemPic-vol17 p. 259, Beatrix (nom) ibid. p. 210; 1310–11 Beatrisis (gen) GasReg-A p. 236
Old French
● 1290 Beatris (obl) HistHdVParis p. 106; 1296 Bietrix paris1296 p. 54; 1297 Byatris (obl) HistHdVParis p. 135; 1301 Beatris (obl) MemPic-vol17 p. 234, Beetris (obl) ibid. p. 289; 1313 Biatriz Paris1313 p. 107, Biautrix ibid. p. 89, Bietriz ibid. p. 36
Germany
Latin
● 1025 Beatrici (gen) UrkStyria 44; 1249 Beatricis (gen) hennes-vol1 131
Italy
Latin
● 1265x1339 Beatrix (nom) BBC-Berg 91, Biatrix (nom) ibid. 355, Bietrix (nom) ibid. 5; 1310 Beatrix (nom) MonRav-2 CCCL; 1521 Beatrix (nom) VitAs2 III; 1522x1532 Beatrix (nom) DSF p. 52, 34; 1543 Beatricem (acc) PNC 8, Beatrici (gen) ibid. 8
◑ 1310 Biatrixina (nom) MonRav-2 CCCL
Portugal
Latin
● 1269 Beatricem (acc) PHGCRP-I no. 11
Scotland
Latin
● 1425 Beatrici (dat) RMSRS-2 40
Spain
Latin
● 1488 Beatrix (nom) carbonell-I p. 18; 1489 Beatrix (nom) ibid. p. 36; 1490 Beatrix (nom) ibid. p. 39; 1491 Beatrix (nom) ibid. p. 60; 1492 Beatrix (nom) ibid. p. 66
Catalan
● 1510 Beatriu valencia1510 3160, Beatriç ibid. 3971
Spanish
● 1333 Beatris deMoxo, Featris ibid.; 1575 Beatriz Catalogo-5.2 3794; 1576 Beatriz ibid. 3894
Switzerland
Latin
● 14thCx1478 Beatrisia (nom) Ob-SPVn (37), Beatrix (nom) ibid. (41)
Cite as: J. Uckelman, S.L. Uckelman. "Beatrice". In S.L. Uckelman, ed. The Dictionary of Medieval Names from European Sources, Edition 2017, no. 1. http://dmnes.org/2017/1/name/Beatrice.