Heloise

English dictionary entry

Meanings

name
  1. A female given name from French.

Pronunciation

/hɛləʊˈiːz/

Word forms

Heloise Heloïse

Etymology

From Medieval Latin Heloisa under influence from French Héloïse, probably from French Éloi + -se (“-ess: feminizing nouns”), from Medieval Latin Eligius, chiefly after Saint Eligius, from Latin ēligere (“to pick, to choose from”) + -ius (“-y: forming adjectives and names”). Sometimes alternatively derived from Proto-Germanic reconstructed as *Hailawidiz, from *hailagaz (“holy”) or *hailaz (“whole, healthful”) and *widuz (“wood, forest”). As an English name, chiefly after Peter Abelard's beloved nun Heloise. Doublet of Eloise.

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