Bea

  • [ BEE ]
  • English
Short form of BEATRIX.

BEATRIX   female   German, Hungarian, Dutch, English (Rare), Late Roman
Probably from Viatrix, a feminine form of the Late Latin name Viator which meant "voyager, traveller". It was a common name amongst early Christians, and the spelling was altered by association with Latin beatus "blessed". Viatrix or Beatrix was a 4th-century saint who was strangled to death during the persecutions of Diocletian.

In England the name became rare after the Middle Ages, but it was revived in the 19th century, more commonly in the spelling Beatrice. Famous bearers include the British author and illustrator Beatrix Potter (1866-1943), the creator of Peter Rabbit, and Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands (1938-).
FULL FORMS
ENGLISH: Beatrice, Beatrix
EQUIVALENTS
CATALAN: Beatriu
DUTCH: Beatrix
ENGLISH: Bee, Trix, Trixie
FRENCH: Béatrice
GERMAN: Beatrix
HUNGARIAN: Beatrix
ITALIAN: Beatrice, Bice
LATE ROMAN: Beatrix, Viatrix
LATVIAN: Beatrise
POLISH: Beatrycze
PORTUGUESE: Beatriz, Bia
SCOTTISH: Beitris
SPANISH: Beatriz
SWEDISH: Beatrice
WELSH: Betrys
MASCULINE FORMS
LATE ROMAN: Viator