Beatrice nicknames range from the sci fi Tris to the well-why-not Birdie?
A Top 100 choice into the 1930s, count Beatrice among the classic girl names right at home in the twenty-first century.
It comes from the Latin name Viatrix – voyager – mixed with the Latin word beatus – blessed. There’s a fourth century Saint Beatrix, and while the -trice ending outpaces the -trix one in English, notables like Beatrix Potter keep it familiar.
While it doesn’t feel as Italian as, say, Francesca, the original Beatrice was Dante Alighieri’s beloved immortalized as his tour guide in 1321’s Divine Comedy.
From Shakespeare’s romantic comedy Much Ado About Nothing to the British royal family’s Princess Beatrice, there’s plenty of high profile uses to keep this name familiar.
Some nicknames for Beatrice work better with the -trice ending. Others seem better suited to Beatrix. And some connect logically to Beatriz, the Spanish and Portuguese form.
Beatrice requires no nickname, but if you’re the type to shorten everything? Luckily, options abound!
NICKNAMES for BEATRICE
BABE
Maybe Babe is more term of endearment than proper nickname. But it feels like an option that works especially well for Beatrice.
BAY
Certain accents make the first syllable more of a Bay and less of a Bee. Maybe. But even if you’re not hearing it, almost any B name could easily shorten to Bay. Short names feel quite stylish today. We love choices from the natural world, like River and Skye. Plus, a fictional character answered to the name on ABC Family’s Switched at Birth, too, making it feel slightly more familiar for a daughter. If creative nicknames appeal to you, then Bay might be perfect.
BEA
Some pronounce Bea nickname Baya. Or Bee-ah. Or just plain Bee, as in Bea Arthur. Bea hardly counts as unexpected – it’s probably the default nickname. And yet, with all of those possible pronunciations to ponder, there’s room to make Bea feel distinctive.
BEBE
Spell it Bebe or Bibi. Either way, it makes a great nickname for Beatrice. Beatrice feels buttoned-down; a good girl name. Bebe takes the name to the wild side, an edgy, sophisticated, even eccentric, nickname name in the key of Gigi or Lulu. Beatrice becomes a Rhodes scholar, while Bebe is her supermodel alter ego.
BEE
As Beatrice nicknames go, it’s the ultimate in simplicity. Other Bee-Beatrice types of nicknames include Jay for James, Kay for Katherine, and Elle for Elizabeth or Eleanor. Some parents appreciate the honeybee imagery, too. If you prefer simple nicknames, reducing Beatrice to just a single initial might be for you. And while it’s brief, Bee still feels nicely stylish.
BESS
Traditionally a nickname for Elizabeth, Bess could work beautifully for Beatrice, too. The ‘s’ sound in -trice lends itself to Bess – even if it doesn’t look obvious at first.
BETTY
Another Elizabeth nickname, Betty might also work nicely with Beatrice. Between the ‘B’ and the ‘t’ sounds, Betty follows naturally.
BETSY
If Betty works, Betsy belongs on this list, too. And Beatrice even has the ‘s’ sound to back it up.
BIA
A Portuguese possibility, and logical shortening of Beatrice. While Bea might be rhymed with Sea or Lea, Bia is clearly two syllables.
BICE
Dante based his literary character on a woman he loved from afar. The real-life Beatrice Portinari answered to the nickname Bice. It sounds a little like beach, if you said it with two syllables: BEE cheh. Maybe it still works in Italy. But that’s pretty much a non-starter in English.
BIRDIE
Birdie is the kind of nickname that could attach to nearly any girl’s name, whether the sounds are there or not. It works with Elizabeth and Bernadette, so why not Beatrice?
BIX
If Rebecca can become Bex, maybe Beatrice shortens to Bix? Wait, make that Beatrix. Both the -trice and -trix spellings are used in English, though Beatrice remains more popular. Still, Beatrix works, too – and Bix is a definite bonus.
REESE
Names like Patrice are sometimes shortened to Reese. Even though Beatrice ends with the same “rice” letters, it seems like the pronunciation isn’t quite there – at least in English. In other languages, for some variations of Beatrice, this nickname might follow more logically. (For example, the French Béatrice ends with the right sound.)
TESS
If Bess and Tris make the list, would Tess work? It’s typically associated with Theresa, but it could be a perfect nickname for Beatrice, too.
TRIS
Veronica Roth put Tris on our radar with her 2011 novel Divergent. It’s since become a book series, as well as a movie adaptation. Shailene Woodley played Beatrice “Tris” Prior in the movie. It works, even if it suggests the name should be respelled Beatris or even Beatriss.
TRIXIE
Strictly speaking, Trixie comes from Beatrix. Except there’s no reason Trixie couldn’t be a nickname for Beatrice. Trixie feels sparky and retro, and maybe a little bit hipster, too, especially since Mo Willems gave the name to the pint-sized heroine of his Park Slope adventures, Knuffle Bunny and sequels.
What are your favorite Beatrice nicknames?
First published on June 24, 2016, this post was revised and updated on August 1, 2020; October 21, 2021; and August 3, 2023.
Beatrice is beautiful old name, it reminds me of antique lace! I once knew a Beatrice in school who went by the nickname Becky, surprisingly enough. She also went by Beezus from the Beverly Clearly books. She was such a doll <3
Late reading this post, but I know a Beatrice who goes by Beedie, which is unusual but really grew on me!
I love Bebe and Trixie, but when we were considering Beatrice for our second child, I like the nickname Bliss.
Oh, how I would love it if my husband would agree on Beatrice! It’s a family name, too, and I think I just fell head over heels in love with Birdie as a nickname.
I love Beata, pronounced Bee-etta.
I LOVE Beatrice/Beatrix. Birdie is an adorable nickname. And I’ve always liked Trixie for Beatrix. I think it totally could work for Beatrice too. I always thought if I had a daughter and named her Beatrice, her nickname would be “Bea” as a nod to my grandmother (who goes by “B” although her given name is Beulah).
Love Beatrice. Even more fun with all the nicknames. Would be lovely to have a little Beatrice. I’d probably go for Bee as the nickname and then have her wear cute shirts with bees and such on them.
Mo Willem’s daughter is named Trixie – which is why Trixie is a character in his books. 🙂
I love Bee and Trixie.
I think Betsy is a really nice nickname for Beatrice or Beatrix.
Another one would be Beten or Beaton.