I can’t remember where I first spotted Belsante, but she sometimes appears among rare medieval variants for Isobel.
Where every name has a story
I can’t remember where I first spotted Belsante, but she sometimes appears among rare medieval variants for Isobel.
I can only see the first few lines of this post. Is there any way that can be fixed?
I started doing medieval and Renaissance reenactment in my mid teens and am still fairly active so a lot of the names mentioned so far I know at least one of 🙂 (Elizabeth is also my middle name) I would pronounce it Belsante BEL-sant-ay (it almost looks like medieval French for “good health” sante is health)
in my head I am pronouncing this Bell-sahn-tay. I like it!!!
It is really growing on me – though I’m saying it more like bell SAHNT.
I like that about relatively unknown names… Pronounce them how you like because no one is alive who knows for sure 🙂
OOoh, Sabelina and Ysabelot are both very pretty as well.
Thank you, Bewildertrix – there she is: http://gaminggeeks.org/Resources/KateMonk/England-Medieval/Biblical.htm, along with Sabelina and Ysabelot!
Ysabelot! I tried working that into a realistic combination once and failed miserably. I think it’s fab.
Ysabelot is lovely – but quite a bit to wear!
Ysabel Marianne – both medieval French but still sounding modern (the -ot is a diminutive used widely in medieval French names so you could still call her Ysabelot in the family as a petname).
Not that I spend way too many hours reading s-gabriel.org or anything (a medieval name junkies best friend)
I find this name to be uber cool! I really like it. Nice find, thanks for sharing.
I know I saw this in Kate Monk’s Onomastikon along with other strange Isabel variations.
I don’t know what to make of it. I’ve tried formulating a response three times now. Words fail me. Had they not, I’m sure it would be something rude-ish.
I like the unusual-ness of this name, but for some reason it reminds of of elephant. ??
My favorite “Belle”-related name is B
I pronounce is “bel-SANT” in my head, and actually prefer it to Isabella. I’m on a liking spree.
Harry Belefante?
LOL!
exactly what I was thinking.
I was wondering the same thing about pronunciation. My first thought is also “Bell – san – tay”. But I guess maybe “Bell – sont” could work.
I like Arabella a lot. Seemed a bit too princessy for a first name – hubby didn’t like it. I sometimes wish I’d used it as a middle name though – it’s much more exciting than Abigail, which we used.
Mirabel is very pretty too.
I love Mirabel but my sister has an Isabella so that pretty much rules out any belle/bel names.
I’m saying bell SONT, or maybe bell SAHNT. But it is such an unusual name that I think you’d have the luxury of choosing your own pronunciation.
How do you pronounce it? Bell – san – tay?