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$Title{Names for Girls:  B}
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Editors of Consumer Guide
Harder, Kelsey}
$Subject{Names Girls B}
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The Ultimate Baby Name Book


Names for Girls:  B


Baba (see Barbara)

Babali (see Barbara)

Babbe, Babbie (see Barbara)

Babette (see Barbara, Elizabeth)

Babie (see Barbara)

Babita (see Barbara)

Babs (see Barbara)

Babuscha (see Barbara)

Bahati             Swahili "luck."

Bairbre (see Barbara)

Balinka (see Blanche)

Baptista           Greek "the baptizer."

Baraball (see Barbara)

Barb (see Barbara)

Barbara            Greek barbaros, "strange, foreign."  St. Barbara was a
                   second- or third-century Christian martyr whose devotion to
                   her faith so enraged her father, Dioscurus, that he ordered
                   her tortured.  When she refused to renounce her religion
                   despite her suffering, her father beheaded her, and he was
                   struck by lightning and killed.  St. Barbara became the
                   patron saint invoked against thunder and lightning, and the
                   protectress of gunners and miners.  The powder room on
                   French ships was called la Sainte Barbe.
    Famous names:  Dame Barbara Hepworth (sculptor)
                   Barbara Stanwyck (actress)
                   Barbra Streisand (singer and actress)
                   Barbara Walters (broadcast journalist)
  Other spelling:  Barbra
       Nicknames:  Baba, Babbe, Babbie, Babs, Barb, Barbi, Barbie, Barby,
                   Baubie, Bobette, Bobbie, Bobby
      Variations:  Babali, Babette (French), Babie (Scottish), Babita,
                   Babuscha, Bairbre (Irish), Baraball (Gaelic), Barbaritta,
                   Barbe (French), Barbechen, Barbro (Swedish), Barvara,
                   Beryabe, Vara (Russian), Varenka (Russian), Varina
                   (Russian), Varinka

Barbaritta (see Barbara)

Barbechen (see Barbara)

Barbe, Barbi, Barbie (see Barbara)

Barbra (see Barbara)

Barbro (see Barbara)

Barby (see Barbara)

Barvara (see Barbara)

Bathsheba          Hebrew "daughter of the oath."  In the Old Testament,
                   Samuel tells the story of the courtship of Bathsheba and
                   King David.  After her husband was sent off to die in
                   battle, she became David's wife.
       Variation:  Sheba

Baubie (see Barbara)

Bea (see Beatrice)

Beata (see Beatrice)

Beathag (see Sophia)

Beatrex (see Beatrice)

Beatrica (see Beatrice)

Beatrice           Latin beatrix, "bringer of joy."  St. Beatrix, a young
                   Christian martyr during the Roman Empire, was killed
                   because she rescued the bodies of her slain brothers.  The
                   deaths of all three siblings can be blamed on the greed of
                   a neighboring landowner, Lucretius, who used the excuse of
                   their Christianity to abscond with their property.
                   According to legend, he paid for his avarice when he died
                   in agony from an unknown cause shortly after St. Beatrix's
                   death.  In literature, Beatrice guides Dante through
                   Paradise in the Divine Comedy.  The character was based on
                   Beatrice Portinari, a young woman whom Dante met when he
                   was nine or ten years old.  Even though she died at age 24,
                   Beatrice became Dante's symbol of the ideal woman.  One of
                   Shakespeare's most memorable female characters is the witty
                   and energetic Beatrice in Much Ado About Nothing.  The form
                   Beatrix was used for several hundred years in England until
                   about 1250, when it faded from popularity.  In the
                   nineteenth century, the name was revived when Queen
                   Victoria named her youngest daughter Beatrice.  Although
                   the name is no longer popular, it may experience a revival
                   now that Prince Andrew of England and the Duchess of York,
                   the former Sarah Ferguson, have named their daughter
                   Beatrice Elizabeth Mary.
    Famous names:  Bea Arthur (actress)
                   Beatrice Lillie (actress)
                   Beatrix Potter (writer)
       Nicknames:  Bea, Bee, Ticha, Trix, Trissie, Trixie, Trixy
      Variations:  Beata, Beatrex, Beatrica (Slavic), Beatrissa, Beatriks
                   (Russian), Beatrix (German), Beatriz (Spanish), Beatruce,
                   Beitris (Scottish), Bice (Italian), Viatricia, Viatrix

Beatriks (see Beatrice)

Beatrissa (see Beatrice)

Beatrix (see Beatrice)

Beatriz (see Beatrice)

Beatruce (see Beatrice)

Bebba (see Elizabeth)

Becca (see Rebecca)

Beckie (see Becky, Rebecca)

Becky              Form of Rebecca.  This nickname has been popular for many
                   years.  William Thackeray's heroine Rebecca Sharpe of
                   Vanity Fair was known as Becky, and in the United States,
                   Samuel Clemens, writing as Mark Twain, created the
                   character Becky Thatcher for Tom Sawyer.
  Other spelling:  Beckie

Bee (see Beatrice)

Begga (see Bridget)

Beitris (see Beatrice)

Bekki (see Rebecca)

Bel (see Isabel)

Belenda (see Belinda)

Belicia (see Isabel)

Belina (see Belinda)

Belinda            Old German belindis, "dragon-like"; also, Spanish linda
                   "pretty."  Although this appears to be an Old German name,
                   its popularity began in the seventeenth century, partly
                   because it was one of the pretty-sounding names that
                   Restoration dramatists liked so much.  In his famous
                   eighteenth-century satire, The Rape of the Lock, Alexander
                   Pope probably chose the name specifically to mock the
                   earlier plays, as well as to poke fun at society's petty
                   rules and concentration on trivial matters.
    Famous names:  Belinda Carlisle (singer)
                   Belinda Montgomery (actress)
  Other spelling:  Belenda
       Nicknames:  Belle, Binnie, Linda
      Variations:  Belina, Berlinda, Valenda, Valinda, Velinde

Belita (see Isabel, Elizabeth)

Bell (see Belle, Isabel)

Bella (see Belle, Isabel)

Bellanca (see Blanche)

Belle              Latin bella, "beautiful"; also, a variation of Isabel.
    Famous names:  Bella Davidovich (pianist)
                   Belle Starr (outlaw)
      Variations:  Belinda, Bell, Bella (Hungarian), Belva, Belvia, Billie

Belva (see Belle)

Belvia (see Belle)

Bere (see Bernice)

Berenice (see Bernice)

Berenicia (see Bernice)

Beret (see Bridget)

Bergette (see Bridget)

Berlinda (see Belinda)

Berna (see Bernadette)

Bernadene (see Bernadette)

Bernadette         Feminine form of Bernard, Old German "stern bear."  The
                   bear was sacred in ancient Europe, and Bernard has long
                   been a popular name for boys.  The feminine versions of the
                   name, Bernadine and Bernarda, have also been commonly used
                   for centuries.  The French version of the name, Bernadette,
                   is currently the most popular, particularly because it was
                   the name of a young girl who in 1858 saw visions of the
                   Virgin Mary at a spring near Lourdes.  People came there to
                   watch her pray, and many claimed they were cured by
                   drinking water from the spring.  Bernadette said she was
                   told to build a church at the site.  In 1933, Bernadette
                   Soubirois was canonized, although the church specifically
                   recognized St. Bernadette for her faith, not her visions.
     Famous name:  Bernadette Peters (actress)
       Nicknames:  Bernie, Berny
      Variations:  Berna, Bernadene, Bernadine, Bernarda, Bernardina
                   (Italian), Bernadotte, Bernetta, Bernita, Vernadine

Bernadine (see Bernadette)

Bernadotte (see Bernadette)

Bernardina (see Bernadette)

Bernelle (see Bernice)

Bernetta (see Bernadette)

Bernice            Greek pherenike, "bringer of victory," from pheros
                   [bringer] and nike [victory].  This is a form of the
                   ancient name Berenice, which was used widely in the Greek
                   and Roman empires.  In Egypt, many of the wives and
                   daughters of the ruling Macedonian kings had this name.  It
                   is an uncommon name today, although it was quite popular in
                   the early part of this century.
  Other spelling:  Berenice
       Nicknames:  Bernie, Berny, Berry, Bunnie, Bunny, Nicia, Nixie
      Variations:  Bere, Berenicia, Bernelle, Beronia, Veronica, Veronike
                   (German), Veronique (French)

Bernie, Berny (see Bernadette, Bernice)

Bernita (see Bernadette)

Beronia (see Bernice)

Berrita (see Bertha)

Berry (see Bernice)

Bert (see Bertha)

Berta (see Alberta, Bertha)

Berte (see Alberta)

Bertha             Old German berhta "bright."  Berchta, the name of a
                   Teutonic goddess, was the original form of this name.  Her
                   celebration day was January 6, now Epiphany, and girls
                   born on that date traditionally were named for her.  The
                   mother of Charlemagne was named Berchta.  St. Bertha has an
                   obscure history; she built three churches, but little else
                   is known about her.  The name was popular around the turn
                   of the century, but today it is unusual, perhaps because of
                   its association with Big Bertha, a powerful German gun used
                   to shell France in World War I.  The cannon was named in
                   honor of industrialist Bertha Krupp, owner of the Krupp
                   manufacturing concern where the guns were made.
     Famous name:  Bertha Harris (novelist)
       Nicknames:  Bert, Bertie, Berty, Bird, Birdie, Birdy
      Variations:  Berrita, Berta (German, Italian, and Spanish), Berthe
                   (French), Bertina (German), Beta, Bierta

Berthe (see Bertha)

Berti, Bertie, Berty (see Alberta, Bertha)

Bertina (see Bertha)

Beryabe (see Barbara)

Beryl              Arabic "crystal," a semi-precious stone.  Like other
                   "jewel" names, this one was popular in the late-nineteenth
                   century, but it is rarely used today.
     Famous name:  Beryl Markham (aviatrix)

Bess (see Beth, Elizabeth)

Besse (see Elizabeth)

Besse, Bessie,     (see Beth, Elizabeth)
Bessy
     Famous name:  Bessie Smith (singer)

Bet (see Beth, Elizabeth)

Beta               Greek; also, a variation of Bertha or Elizabeth.  This name
                   is the second letter in the Greek alphabet.

Beth, Bethany      Forms of Elizabeth; also, Hebrew Bethia, "daughter of the
                   Lord."  The Scots are primarily responsible for the
                   popularity of this name, perhaps because of its connection
                   with the Celtic word beath, "life."  Usually, it's a
                   nickname for Elizabeth, although it's often used as a
                   middle name.  Bethany is the name of a village near
                   Jerusalem.
     Famous name:  Beth Henley (playwright)
      Variations:  Bess, Besse, Bessie, Bet, Betsy, Betty, Bozsi (Hungarian)

Betha (see Elizabeth)

Bethia (see Elizabeth)

Betine (see Bettina)

Bets (see Elizabeth)

Betsey, Betsie (see Betsy, Elizabeth)

Betsy              Form of Elizabeth.  This name is associated with Betsy
                   Ross, who is said to have made the first American flag at
                   the request of George Washington.
 Other spellings:  Betsey, Betsie, Bettsie
       Variation:  Beth

Bett (see Elizabeth)

Betta (see Elizabeth)

Bette              Form of Elizabeth.  The final e is usually silent in the
                   pronounciation of this French name.
    Famous names:  Bette Davis (actress)
                   Bette Midler (actress)

Bettina            Variation of Elizabeth.
       Variation:  Betine

Bettsie (see Betsy)

Betty              Form of Elizabeth.  This popular nickname has sometimes
                   been used as a given name, particularly in the 1940s
                   because of the fame of two American actresses, Betty Grable
                   and Betty Hutton.
     Famous name:  Betty Friedan (writer)
       Variation:  Beth

Beula (see Beulah)

Beulah             Hebrew "married."  This very uncommon name was used as a
                   name for Israel in the Bible.  The name has little
                   additional history.
  Other spelling:  Beula

Bev (see Beverley)

Beverlee (see Beverley)

Beverley, Beverly  Old English Beferlic, "beaver stream."  This is a common
                   surname that was often used as a masculine name in England.
                   Its use as a feminine name in the United States is quite
                   recent, and it was among the top-50 names in both 1950 and
                   1960 in the United States.  The name's popularity has
                   faded since then.  It was adopted by soprano Beverly Sills,
                   whose original name was Belle Silverman.
    Famous names:  Beverly Cleary (children's writer)
                   Beverly D'Angelo (actress)
                   Beverly Garland (actress)
  Other spelling:  Beverlee
       Nicknames:  Bev, Buffy, Lee

Bianca (see Blanche)

Bibi               French beubelot, "toy."
     Famous name:  Bibi Andersson (actress)

Bice (see Beatrice)

Bidda (see Bridget)

Biddie, Biddy (see Bridget)

Bierta (see Bertha)

Billie             Form of Wilhelmina.
    Famous names:  Billie Holiday (jazz singer)
                   Billie Jean King (tennis player)
      Variations:  Belle, Bill

Billie Jo          Form of William and Joe.  This name probably started out as
                   a boy's nickname, but it is now primarily a girls' name
                   that is more popular in the southern part of the United
                   States than in other parts of the country.

Billy (see Billie, Wilhelmina)

Bina (see Sabina)

Binnie (see Belinda)

Bird (see Bertha)

Birdie, Birdy (see Bertha)

Birget (see Bridget)

Birgetta (see Bridget)

Birunji            Luganda (Uganda), "pretty, perfect."

Blair              Celtic "from the plains."  Like Ashley and Beverly, this
                   name was almost exclusively a masculine name until the
                   mid-twentieth century.  Today, it is an increasingly
                   popular girl's name and appears to be disappearing as a
                   name for boys.
     Famous name:  Blair Brown (actress)

Blanca (see Blanche)

Blanch (see Blanche)

Blanche            Old French "white."  The twelfth-century French queen
                   Blanche of Castile is the first historic reference to this
                   name.  It also appears among members of the House of
                   Lancaster in Britain.  In literature, the name shows up
                   every once in a while, including the Italian version
                   Bianca in Shakespeare's The Taming of the Shrew and
                   Othello, and Blanche DuBois in Tennessee Williams' A
                   Streetcar Named Desire.
     Famous name:  Blanche Yurka (actress)
  Other spelling:  Blanch
      Variations:  Balinka, Bellanca, Bianca (Italian), Blanca (Spanish),
                   Blanka (German), Bleanca, Blinnie, Bluinse (Irish), Vianca

Blanka (see Blanche)

Bleanca (see Blanche)

Blinnie (see Blanche)

Bliss              Old English bliths, "supreme happiness."
  Other spelling:  Blisse
       Variation:  Blythe

Blisse (see Bliss, Blythe)

Blithe (see Blythe)

Blossom            Old English blosm, "flower of a plant."
     Famous name:  Blossom Rock (actress)

Bluinse (see Blanche)

Blythe             Old English "blithe, mild."  This name has little history,
                   but its recent use may be connected to its cheerful
                   meaning.
     Famous name:  Blythe Danner (actress)
  Other spelling:  Blithe
      Variations:  Bliss, Blisse

Bobbi (see Bobbie)

Bobbie             Feminine form of Robert; variation of Barbara and Roberta.
                   This uncommon name may have begun as a nickname, or it may
                   be simply a feminine use of the male nickname.
    Famous names:  Bobbie Gentry (singer)
                   Bobbie Ann Mason (writer)
 Other spellings:  Bobbi, Bobby

Bobby (see Bobbie, Barbara)

Bobette (see Barbara)

Bona (see Bonnie)

Bonita             Spanish "pretty."
       Variation:  Bonnie

Bonna (see Bonnie)

Bonni (see Bonnie)

Bonnie             Latin bonus, "sword" or "fire."  Use of this name probably
                   stems from the Scottish word bonnie, which means beautiful
                   with a connotation of goodness.  According to an old
                   ballad, "The child who is born on the Sabbath day is blithe
                   and bonnie and good and gay."  Bonnie used to be a popular
                   name in the United States, but it became associated with
                   the notorious outlaw Bonnie Parker, who robbed a number of
                   banks in the 1930s.
    Famous names:  Bonnie Blair (speed skater)
                   Bonnie Franklin (actress)
                   Bonnie Raitt (singer)
 Other spellings:  Bonni, Bonny
      Variations:  Bona, Bonna, Bonita (Spanish), Bunnies, Bunny

Bonny (see Bonnie)

Bozsi (see Beth)

Brandi, Brandy     Feminine forms of Celtic Brendan, "from the hill meadow."
                   The origins of this name are uncertain.  It seems to have
                   recently developed in the United States and is enjoying
                   current popularity.
     Famous name:  Brandy Johnson (gymnast)

Brenda             Old English "firebrand"; also, possible feminine form of
                   Celtic Brendan.  This name was very popular in the
                   late-nineteenth century.  It is connected with the title
                   character of the long-running cartoon strip Brenda Starr
                   about a red-haired reporter who's in love with a mystery
                   man who grows black orchids in the jungles of South
                   America.
    Famous names:  Brenda Lee (singer)
                   Brenda Maddox (biographer)
                   Brenda Vaccaro (actress)

Briana             Possible feminine form of Celtic Brian, "strong."
                   Although this name is unusual today, it is a feminine form
                   of a very popular boys' name, which may mean that it will
                   become more popular in the future if the current trend of
                   making girls' names out of masculine names continues.
      Variations:  Brina, Brianna, Bryna

Brianna (see Briana)

Brichida (see Bridget)

Bride (see Bridget)

Bridget            Celtic briganti, "the high one."  This name has always been
                   extremely popular in Ireland.  It is the name of the
                   goddess of wisdom in Irish mythology and is associated with
                   the female patron saint of Ireland, St. Bridget, who is
                   also called St. Bridgit, St. Brigid, and St. Bride.  St.
                   Bridget, the sixth-century daughter of a Druid who was
                   converted to Christianity by a nephew of St. Patrick, lived
                   beneath an oak tree, and devoted her life to charitable
                   deeds.  In Scandinavia, the name's popularity is based on
                   the fame of St. Bridgit.  She was descended from the Gothic
                   kings, according to legend, and she and her husband, Ulpho,
                   a Swedish prince, withdrew from their court and devoted
                   themselves to pious lives.
    Famous names:  Brigitte Bardot (actress)
                   Bridget Fonda (actress)
 Other spellings:  Bridgett, Bridgette
       Nicknames:  Bidda, Biddie, Biddy, Bridie, Brydie
      Variations:  Begga (Swedish), Beret (Swedish), Bergette (French),
                   Birget (Norwegian), Birgetta (Swedish), Brichida, Bride
                   (Scottish), Bridgie, Brietta (Irish), Brigid (Irish),
                   Brigida (Italian and Spanish), Brigitha, Brigitta (French),
                   Brigitte (French), Brita (Swedish), Britt (Swedish), Gitta
                   (German), Pikka, Vrijeda

Bridgett, Bridgette (see Bridget)

Bridgie (see Bridget)

Bridie (see Bridget)

Brietta (see Bridget)

Brigid (see Bridget)

Brigida (see Bridget)

Brigitha (see Bridget)

Brigitta (see Bridget)

Brigitte (see Bridget)

Brina (see Briana)

Brit (see Brittany)

Brita (see Bridget)

Britany (see Brittany)

Britin (see Brittany)

Britt (see Bridget, Brittany)

Britta (see Brittany)

Brittany           French place name.  This name first appeared among the
                   top-50 names in the United States in 1980.  The popularity
                   of names ending in -ny and -nie, combined with the desire
                   for originality, spurred the use of this unusual name.
  Other spelling:  Britany
       Nicknames:  Brit, Britt, Britte
      Variations:  Britin, Britta, Brittin

Britte (see Brittany)

Brittin (see Brittany)

Brook (see Brooke)

Brooke             Old English, "brook, stream."  This formerly masculine name
                   is increasingly being given to girls.  Its current
                   popularity is probably due to the actress Brooke Shields.
    Famous names:  Brooke Adams (actress)
       Variation:  Brook

Brunella           Old French from German brun, "brown."

Brydie (see Bridget)

Bryna (see Briana)

Buffy              Form of Beverley or Elizabeth.  It's unclear why this name
                   developed a preppy connotation, but today "Buffy" is used
                   as a pejorative in reference to a wealthy college woman.
     Famous name:  Buffy Saint-Marie (singer)

Bunnie, Bunny (see Bernice, Bonnie)

Bunny              Form of Bernice or Bonnie.  This nickname is more often
                   used as a term of endearment than as an independent name.