Thoughts on the name Beatrice?

turtletaylor0522

My husband and I are going to start TTC in May, I’m not pregnant and I’m not sure we will have a girl. 

However, I’ve been thinking about names a lot. I lost my great-grandmother in 2021, her name was Beatrice Nelly Taylor. I’m named after her, Taylor. We were very close when I was younger, she lived on the same property as my family. We shared a driveway. She was about half a mile from us so I used to ride my bike to her house and spend my afternoons with her quilting or crocheting. She meant so much to me, it was a difficult loss for my whole family, even though she lived healthily (on her own in her home!) into her 90’s. 

My great-grandmother was an amazing woman who really set up my family for generations. She married her husband at 19, bought a dairy farm, and worked hard her whole life. They raised 5 children, had 9 grandchildren, 26 (!) great-grandkids, and my son is the 12th great-great-grandkid. I lived on that same dairy farm they bought in the 1930’s my whole life. 

I am very seriously considering Beatrice for a future daughter. The issue is that I don’t particularly love the name. I just can’t imagine any other names that I would want. I like the nickname Bea okay. I think it would grow on my if it were my daughter. 

I’m wondering what the first impressions of the name “Beatrice” or “Bea” are for you. To me I think of my grandmother and her headstrong self. She mowed her own lawn until my aunts and uncles took her lawnmower away on her 80th birthday. But I also just see it as kind of a clumsy name that seems… obtuse? My grandmother was not obtuse in the least, but obviously I called her “grandmother” not “Beatrice,” so I didn’t associate the name with her until later in my life. 

Thanks for any input!

mb0112

Beatrice does not strike me as obtuse. It's vintage and fits in with many "old lady names" that came back in style with its cute nickname option. It definitely isn't the prettiest or most feminine to me, but nothing negative comes to mind. Nelly would also be a cute option!

kbmt

I’m in love with the name Beatrice. Honestly, it’s my top girl name. My husband was not a fan, and I thought I couldn’t convince him. However, he surprised me by adding Beatrix and Betrys to his list of girl names! They were close enough, and I was shocked. But, we are having a boy, and I’m almost positive I’ll be ‘one and done’. I don’t find the name to be clumsy at all.

lvictoriam

I think Beatrice is so classy. I love it. I really love Nellie as well! They were both on our girl list!