The Brilliant Book of Baby Names: What’s best, what’s hot and what’s not. Linda Rosenkrantz
BEATRIZ. Spanish variation of BEATRICE. Another attractive translation of Beatrice, popular with Hispanic parents.
BEBE. Diminutive of BEATRICE, BEATRIX. High-kicking cohort of Coco, Gigi, Fifi, Kiki, et al. Beebee, Bibi.
BECCA. Diminutive of REBECCA. The currently preferred replacement for Becky, sometimes used on its own. Beccah, Becka, Beckah, Bekka, Bekkah.
BECHETTE. French, ‘little spade’. Pronounced Beshette, this unfamiliar French appellation sounds fresh and feminine.
BECKY. Diminutive of REBECCA. One of those casual down-home names last popular in the 1960s. Beckey, Becki, Beckie.
BEDELIA. Irish, ‘strength, power’. This fanciful Irish extension of Bridget is known here through the wacky Amelia Bedelia books for kids – an association your child may or may not like. Bedeelia, Biddy, Bidelia, Bridget, Delia.
BEE. Diminutive of BEATRICE. This buzzy form is for middle name consideration only.
BEEJA. Hindi, ‘the beginning’ or ‘happy’. Rhythmic and exotic. Beej.
BEGONIA. Flower name. One flower name that doesn’t smell or sound sweet enough for baby name use.
BEIGE. Colour name. Nice sound, colourless image.
BELÉN. Spanish, ‘at Bethlehem’; Hebrew, ‘house of bread’. Popular throughout the Spanish speaking world.
BELINDA. Spanish, ‘pretty one’; German, ‘serpent’. Belinda sits on the ‘Not in Current Usage’ shelf alongside cousins Linda and Melinda. Bel, Bellinda, Bellynda, Linda, Lindie, Lindy.
BELINE. French, ‘goddess’. Possible Gallic import in the Celine mode.
BELLE. French, ‘beautiful’. Nothing but positive associations come with this name, from ‘belle of the ball’ to ‘Southern belle’ to the heroine of Disney’s Beauty and the Beast. Bel, Bela, Belia, Belinda, Belisse, Bell, Bellina.
BELLEZZA. Italian, ‘beauty’. Beauty con brio italiano.
BELOVED. Literary word name. Toni Morrison, the modern master of literary names, made this one famous as the title character of a novel. But things didn’t work out so well for that Beloved.
BELVA. Latin, ‘beautiful