The first name Beatrice
A girl’s name from Latin meaning “she who makes happy”, “female wayfarer”, “traveller”.
Pronounced /ˈbiətɹɪs/ 3 syllables Female Also a surname
Meaning and origin
Latin origin
Beatrice means “she who makes happy”, “female wayfarer”, “traveller” in Latin.
Either 1) from the Latin Beatrix, name of early Christian saints, from beatrix (“she who makes happy”), or 2) from beata, influenced by viatrix (“female wayfarer, traveller”).
More names that mean joy.
From Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Popularity
Babies registered in England and Wales, 1996–2025
In 2025, 401 girls were named Beatrice, making it the 121st most popular girls’ name. It peaked in 2016, with 685 births (#80).
Office for National Statistics; years with fewer than three births are not published and show as zero. Compare Beatrice with other names.
Popularity in the United States
Babies named Beatrice at birth, 1880–2025
In 2025, 583 girls born in the United States were named Beatrice, the 508th most popular girls’ name that year. It was used most in 1921, when 5,968 were.
US Social Security Administration, from applications for a Social Security card. A name is only published for a year when at least five babies were given it, so quieter years show as zero.
Beatrice in other languages
Equivalent forms of the name, from Wiktionary
Spelled Beatrice in Italian and Swedish too.
Nicknames and spellings
Famous people named Beatrice
68 on Wikidata, most written-about first
- Princess Beatrice of YorkElder daughter of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor and Sarah Ferguson, born 1988
- Beatrice StraightAmerican actress (1914-2001)
- Beatrice WebbEnglish sociologist, economist, socialist, and social reformer (1858–1943)
- Beatrice d’EsteDuchess of Milan and Bari, 1475–1497
- Beatrice of ProvenceCountess of Provence and Forcalquier (c.1229–1267)
- Princess Beatrice of Saxe-Coburg and GothaBritish princess (1884-1966)
- Infanta Beatrice, Duchess of ViseuDuchess of Viseu, was the only female governor of the Order of Christ, 1430–1506
- Beatrice RosenFrench-American actress (born 1977)
- Beatrice LillieCanadian-born British actress (1894–1989)
- Beatrice of France(938-1003)
- Beatrice of Bourbon, Queen of BohemiaBohemian queen, 1320–1383
- Beatrice WoodAmerican artist (1893-1998)
More Latin girls’ names
Questions
- What does the name Beatrice mean?
- Beatrice means “she who makes happy”, “female wayfarer”, “traveller” in Latin.
- What is the origin of the name Beatrice?
- Either 1) from the Latin Beatrix, name of early Christian saints, from beatrix (“she who makes happy”), or 2) from beata, influenced by viatrix (“female wayfarer, traveller”).
- How popular is the name Beatrice?
- In 2025, 401 girls born in England and Wales were named Beatrice, ranking 121st. Its peak was 2016, with 685 births.
- What are nicknames for Beatrice?
- Common nicknames for Beatrice include Bea, Bee, Tris.
- Is Beatrice a boy's or a girl's name?
- Mostly a girl's name: 100% of the 195,653 US babies named Beatrice since 1880 were girls.
- When was Beatrice most popular?
- 1921 in the United States, when 5,968 babies were named Beatrice, its highest rank at 41st.
- How do you pronounce Beatrice?
- Beatrice is /ˈbiətɹɪs/, 3 syllables.
- What are other spellings of Beatrice?
- Beats.
- Is Beatrice also a surname?
- Yes. Beatrice is used as a surname as well as a first name; its surname page has the origin and how many people carry it.