Active discussions

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Baby names

Find baby name inspiration and advice on the Mumsnet Baby Names forum.

Original poster

Beatrice....comments?

39 replies

clarabellarocks · 13/09/2010 15:32

I'm currently mulling this one over. Hadn't really thought of it as it has never been a name I thought wow to but the more I think about it the more I like it.

But I just want people's opinions on it. Does anyone find it a bit old fashioned (as in not very cool), ugly or just not very exciting? Or is it pretty and more unusual to Isabelle (one of my forever favourites but a few things put me off that lately - one being someone calling my daughter Imogen it so perhaps too similar?)

Other potential name is Florence or Iris but shorten my daughter's name so quite like to pick one I can shorten for this one.

OP posts:
Are your children’s vaccines up to date?
Set a reminder
New posts on this thread. Refresh page
Flossiebelle · 19/10/2010 08:17

I love both Beatrice and Florence - both of these were on my shortlist. I think I prefer the name Beatrix to Beatrice though - just personal preference though, probably read to many Peter rabbit books to my son Grin

Greenwing · 18/10/2010 23:03

Florence is more popular and the publicity from David Cameron's new daughter is likely to make it more so. Is in the top 100 for 2009 according to list I found in the newspaper.

Beatrice is more classy, less common and better meaning.

EmmaNicole · 18/10/2010 22:23

Crazycatlady....it was my daughter you met on the beach at St Ives!!...you were talking to my husband. It was the first time we'd met another Beatrice too. Beautiful name!

PosieParker · 14/09/2010 09:14

Love it.

Emo76 · 14/09/2010 09:13

I like Bea . There are quite a few around though.

daisystone · 14/09/2010 08:40

I like all the Shakespearean names. Can't go wrong with them.

I knew an Ophelia. Love the name Ophelia but she was very very very posh and gorgeous and could carry it off, whereas I am not sure all girls/women could.

meadowlarks · 13/09/2010 20:53

I like it, but I prefer Beatrix.

Crazycatlady · 13/09/2010 19:46

I'm not sure either NL - I certainly don't know of any babies/children with the name - I have a couple of friends my age called Miranda but that's it. They are both strong, beautiful women who totally live up to the name!

IsThatTheTime · 13/09/2010 19:29

Beatrice is a beautiful name, if you're still in any doubt check out "Il Postino" (The Postman), bloody fantastic film. Or read some Dante.

traceybath · 13/09/2010 19:26

DD is Beatrice and I love the name.

She is mostly Bea or bumblebee.

silverfrog · 13/09/2010 19:26

dd2 is 3 as well - could have sworn it was top 100 then, and rose to 50 or so

must have been baby brain Grin

Northernlurker · 13/09/2010 19:25

Thanks. I think Miranda in particular is an exceptional name - don't know why it's so uncommon?

Crazycatlady · 13/09/2010 19:24

Didn't think so NL! Love the names of your girls...

Northernlurker · 13/09/2010 19:23

Doesn't seem to be in it - phew!

Northernlurker · 13/09/2010 19:19

I have a three year old Beatrice and I think it is a great name. Bit worried to see it described as becoming more common though. Hmm Ours is after the Shakesperean heroine - I also have a Miranda and a Rosalind. When we had our Bea the name was only just inside the top 100 - must check on it now.

amothersplaceisinthewrong · 13/09/2010 19:15

Beatrice lovely. Just don't call her sister Eugenie.

silverfrog · 13/09/2010 19:12

Another lover of beatrice here .

She is usually known as Little B.

Getting quite popular, thoguh, I htink.

MummyLovesSadie · 13/09/2010 19:07

Bea is my dd's mn (not Beatrice) so I love it. It means 'bringer of happiness'. Smile

Rockbird · 13/09/2010 18:08

Love Beatrice and Bea. Don't like Beatrix and detest Florence. I don't know any Beatrices

mathanxiety · 13/09/2010 17:59

Beatrice is gorgeous, imo, and I love the short version Bea. I also love Beatrix and Beata.

I think it far outshines Florence, which strikes me as rather a prim name.

Iris is nice, but I think of Iris Robinson unfortunately. If I had to go for a combination of Greek/flower names, I'd pick Calantha (lovely flower).

With all the different spellings of Isobel-Isabelle, etc., you get a really, really popular name.

chaya5738 · 13/09/2010 17:14

I think it is a beautiful name BUT it is way too popular now, I think. Maybe it is just my group of friends but I have FOUR friends you have named their daughters Beatrice/Beatrix in the past two years. One of them now has a Beatrice and Florence.

So for that reason I would probably go with Iris.

LittleMilla · 13/09/2010 16:51

Just add on this one. My niece is a Bea and it provides endless bumble bee related fun too!

Beautiful name. Girly name, but she's a bit of a rough and tumble toddler and it still suits her. Smile

Crazycatlady · 13/09/2010 16:44

Just typed a great long reply and it got lost...!

Anyway, we have a 20 month old Beatrice. Obviously biased but it's my absolute favourite girls name because:

  • both long and short versions are lovely
  • pretty sounding name but strong and not prissy
  • Beatrice is a Shakespearean heroine in Much Ado about Nothing
  • Beatrice is the soul that guided Dante from Purgatory into Heaven in Divine Comedy
  • Beatrice Webb was an English social reformer and economist who did some pretty cool and amazing things
  • the name means 'bringer of joy' which seemed really appropriate

We call ours both Beatrice and Bea, and she calls herself Bee-bee...

We had never met another until on the beach last week at St Ives.

JaynieB · 13/09/2010 16:44

It wasn't our first choice, but the first choice name just didn't suit her when she arrived. DSD actually suggested Beatrice - I think it's also in that old lady/new classic bracket.

GColdtimer · 13/09/2010 16:32

I love it. It was on our list by DH veteod.

Swipe left for the next trending thread