Berenice

Berenice (Bérénice) is a female first name that is used as a variant of Berenike (Bερενίκη) in English and French-speaking regions. This, in turn, is a Macedonian variant of the Ancient Greek name Pherenike (Φερενίκη). The name is directly translated as "the bringer of victory" or "the victorious one."

What does the name Berenice mean?

Berenice (Bérénice) is a female first name that is considered the English and French form of Berenike (Bερενίκη), which has its origin in the Macedonian language and traces back to the Ancient Greek name Pherenike (Φερενίκη). The literal translation is "the bringer of victory" or "the victorious one." The name has its roots in Ancient Greek and is composed of the words phérō (φέρω) or phérein (φέρειν), meaning "to carry" or "to bring," and nī́kē (νῑ́κη) for "victory" or "success." The name gained popularity through the veneration of Saint Veronica of Jerusalem, who is regarded as a disciple of Jesus and offered him a cloth to wipe his face on his way to the cross. This medieval legend is influenced by the Latin expression vera icon, meaning "the true image." Veronica was sometimes mistakenly derived from the Latin word vera for "true" and the Greek Eikóna (εικόνα) for "the image." Other variants include Berenisse, Bernicia, Veronika, Veronica, Veronique, Verenice, Vereniz, Veronia, Verona, and Weronika. Pet forms include Frona, Vroni, and Vreana. The name Bérénice became popular through the opera of the same name by Handel.

Where does the name Berenice come from?

The origin of the name Berenice is Ancient Greek and Macedonian, and it means "the victorious one" or "the bringer of victory."

How do you pronounce Berenice?

The pronunciation of Berenice is melodic and consists of three to four syllables. In German, the name is usually pronounced as "Be-re-ni-ce" [beʁeˈniːtsə]. It begins with a friendly and bright "Be," while the stressed syllable "-ni-" brings brightness to the sound with the long "i." The final "-ce" provides a clear and fine ending with its hissing sound. Overall, Berenice conveys an elegant and sonorous impression that is both soft in flow and structured in detail.

When is the name day of Berenice?

The name day of Berenice is celebrated on February 4 and July 9.

Popularity

In Germany, the first name Berenice is quite common. Currently, it ranks 4,045th in the list of the most popular female first names. Its best placement was in 2009 when it reached 1,234th place. In the last ten years, Berenice has been given as a first name about 50 times, placing it 3,540th in the ten-year statistics. For the period from 2010 to 2024, it ranks 3,301st.

Nicknames & pet names

Beere / Benice / Bere / Beri / Berni / Bernice / Bero / Berre / Berry / Bete / Bisi / Bär / Bärchen / Nice / Nici / Niki / Reni

Famous people

• Berenice (Fictional character from the short story of the same name by Edgar Allan Poe)
• Berenice Abbott (American photographer)
• Bérénice Bejo (French actress)
• Bérénice Fulchiron (French athlete)
• Bérénice Hebenstreit (Austrian theater director)
• Berenice Kockisch (German actress)
• Bérénice Marlohe (French actress)
• Berenice Sydney (Artist from the UK)
• Berenice Weichert (German voice actress)
• Margaret Berenice Price (Opera singer from England)
• Teresa Berenice Vitelli (Painter from Italy)