Beatrice
Say it: BEE-uh-triss/ˈbiːətɹɪs/
GirlMeans usually explained as "she who makes happy" or "blessed"8 letters3 syllables
#304
in Ireland (2025)
#308 with spellings combined
13
babies in 2025
#215
best rank (2015)
494
babies since 1964
Down 93
10-year rank change
Beatrice through the years
Compare with another name →Show the numbers
| Year | Babies (girls) | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 13 | #308 |
| 2024 | 14 | #298 |
| 2023 | 10 | #358 |
| 2022 | 18 | #240 |
| 2021 | 15 | #287 |
| 2020 | 12 | #335 |
| 2019 | 20 | #236 |
| 2018 | 13 | #333 |
| 2017 | 19 | #249 |
| 2016 | 14 | #317 |
| 2015 | 24 | #215 |
| 2014 | 14 | #336 |
| 2013 | 10 | #428 |
| 2012 | 16 | #318 |
| 2011 | 12 | #396 |
| 2010 | 9 | #477 |
| 2009 | 16 | #299 |
| 2008 | 19 | #272 |
| 2007 | 13 | #327 |
| 2006 | 15 | #272 |
| 2005 | 10 | #347 |
| 2004 | 14 | #257 |
| 2003 | 9 | #333 |
| 2002 | 9 | #331 |
| 2001 | 6 | #400 |
| 2000 | 6 | #379 |
| 1999 | 5 | #393 |
| 1998 | 4 | #426 |
| 1997 | 4 | #496 |
| 1996 | 4 | #471 |
| 1989 | 3 | #503 |
| 1988 | 3 | #492 |
| 1986 | 3 | #521 |
| 1983 | 6 | #401 |
| 1982 | 6 | #399 |
| 1981 | 3 | #533 |
| 1980 | 5 | #432 |
| 1977 | 4 | #468 |
| 1976 | 4 | #429 |
| 1974 | 7 | #340 |
| 1973 | 8 | #331 |
| 1972 | 8 | #312 |
| 1971 | 6 | #349 |
| 1970 | 11 | #252 |
| 1969 | 12 | #245 |
| 1968 | 5 | #327 |
| 1967 | 7 | #268 |
| 1966 | 8 | #256 |
| 1965 | 9 | #238 |
| 1964 | 9 | #234 |
Source: CSO, Irish Babies' Names (VSA50, VSA60), CC BY 4.0.
★ What does Beatrice mean?
Usually explained as "she who makes happy" or "blessed"
Latin Beatrix, the name of early Christian saints, linked to beatus (blessed).
Say it right
BEEuhtriss
Some people run the first two syllables together and say BEE-triss.
The story of Beatrice
Beatrice comes to English through French Béatrice, from the Latin name Beatrix. Beatrix is usually explained as “she who makes happy”, and it was later linked with beatus, meaning blessed. Several early Christian saints carried it.
The best-known Beatrice is Beatrice Portinari, the Florentine woman whom the poet Dante made his guide through Paradise in the Divine Comedy. The name was used in medieval England and had a second wave of popularity around 1900. Princess Beatrice, born in 1988, has kept it in the news.
In Ireland Beatrice was already in use when the CSO records begin, but it was rare through the 1980s and 1990s. It came back in the 2000s, and its best year was 2015, with 24 babies in 2015 and a rank of number 215. The CSO counts Beatrix separately. In Northern Ireland it is less common, with a best rank of number 224 in 2011.
Say it differently where you're from, or spotted something wrong? Tell us.
Sources
- Wiktionary: Beatrice (English proper noun)
- Wikipedia: Beatrice (given name)
- CSO VSA60, Girls Names in Ireland with 3 or More Occurrences
- NISRA, First Forenames Given to Babies Registered in Northern Ireland
At a glance
Similar names
Sibling ideas
Nicknames
Bea
Spellings counted here
| Spelling | 2025 | All years |
|---|---|---|
| Beatrice | 13 | 494 |
In Northern Ireland
#397 in 2025 with 3 babies. Best rank #224 (2011); 57 babies since 1999.
Source: NISRA, Open Government Licence.