Bea is the short form of Beatrice and Beatrix, from the Latin Beatrix, which means "she who makes happy" or "bringer of joy" and was influenced by viatrix, voyager. Actress Bea Arthur of The Golden Girls made the nickname familiar to American audiences. Used as a name of its own, Bea has grown from number 5316 in 2015 to number 2218 in 2025, close to its 2024 peak of 2137, with 83 births.