Active discussions

Help protect children from gaming harms.

Take our survey

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