Message: "Isabeau" - Behind the Name

Isabeau

by Ailis

4/29/2009, 2:23 PM

The name Isabeau has been growing on me for a while. It was the name of a French queen, Isabeau de Bavière. I think it sounds classic and beautiful, and it would be a good alternative to Isabelle. I have a sneaking suspicion that it was once a masculine name, though, as nouns that end with -eau are masculine in French, and "beau" is the masculine word for "beautiful", while "belle" is feminine. Anyway, that hasn't put me off it. What do you think of Isabeau?

#Isabeau

Replies

- Bear

4/30/2009, 12:16 PM

Isabeau is gorgeous. Love it.

I'm starting to tire of Isabelle and Isabeau is much more refreshing.

But Isabeau was never masculine, despite the "-beau" in there. In medieval France, one way to make a feminine nn was to have it end in an "o" sound: Marguerite --> Margot, Mathilde --> Mahaut, Marie --> Manon, Isabelle --> Isabeau. I have no idea why the spelling of the "o" sound varies so much.

- kbellwether +1

4/29/2009, 10:02 PM

I think it's very pretty. Used for the heroine in the movie Ladyhawke, played by Michelle Pfieffer.

- Bear

4/30/2009, 12:19 PM

That's where I saw it for the first time. :-)

- Dracotorix

4/29/2009, 8:24 PM

I know an Isabeau. I wouldn't use it myself but I think it's better than Isabella. I'd probably still rank it below Isobel, though.

- lac (guest)

4/29/2009, 7:33 PM

I love it too. It's a nice change from Isabella and Isabelle. I don't think it was ever masculine.

- Fran (Mondays Child)

4/29/2009, 3:52 PM

I feel like I see this every second post (lol) but I know an Isabeau! She's about 9 and goes pretty exclusively by Izzy, but I've always loved her name. And it's always been cute and feminine to me, simply because she is. I get what you're saying about beau vs belle though but I find it's definitely feminine when you say the name aloud, compared to Isidore.

- Llewella (penguiny7)

4/29/2009, 3:43 PM

I do like the sound of it, but it does look too masculine. Like it could be the masculine form of Isabelle. Well, it is, technically. Maybe if you spelled it Isabaux?

- TheDreadedSockMonkey

4/29/2009, 3:12 PM

I really don't like it. It sounds too precious.

- Aine (poetic_freedom)

4/29/2009, 2:29 PM

I love Isabeau- I much prefer it to Isabelle or Isadora (although I like them too). It is unusual but still has depth and history to it

- Emmasj

4/29/2009, 2:27 PM

I don't like it . . . but it certainly seems like a name that could grow on me, and I haven't heard it before. I think I like it more for a boy than for a girl.

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