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Dictionary of Medieval Names
from European Sources

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; 1303 Biautris (obl) ArchReimsII1 XL; 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 2018, no. 1. http://dmnes.org/2018/1/name/Beatrice.