Beryl (given name)
| Gender | Unisex |
|---|---|
| Origin | |
| Word/name | (female) Greek |
| Meaning | derived from the mineral Beryl or surname Burrell |
Beryl is a given name that has overwhelmingly been borne by females with reference to the mineral beryl. It is deemed unisex due to occasional American usage as a male name, likely a variant spelling of the surname Burrell whose seeming root is the Old French bovre, a reddish-brown woolen fabric with the resultant name denoting a worker in the wool trade; Beryl may also be a variant spelling of the Yiddish (Judeo-German) male name Berel.
Like most jewel names, Beryl's use as a female name dates from the late 19th-century: dancer Beryl de Zoete and actress Beryl Mercer would have been among the earliest namesakes being born respectively in 1879 and 1882. The female name Beryl was always more popular in the British Isles than in North America; since the mid-20th century the name has become somewhat unfashionable in the British Isles.
Males named Beryl
Males named Beryl include:
- Beryl Anthony, Jr., politician
- Beryl F. Carroll, politician
- Beryl Drummond, basketball player
- Beryl Newman, Medal of Honor recipient
- Beryl D. Roberts, politician
- Beryl Rubinstein, composer
- Beryl Shipley, basketball coach
- Beryl Wayne Sprinkel, member of the Executive Office of the U.S. President
- Beryl P. Wajsman, editor
Females named Beryl
Females named Beryl include:
- Beryl Amedee, politician
- Beryl Bainbridge, novelist
- Beryl Beaurepaire, feminist
- Beryl Booker, pianist
- Beryl Bryden, jazz singer
- Beryl Burton, racing cyclist
- Beryl Cook, artist best known for her paintings
- Beryl de Zoete, ballet dancer
- Beryl Gaffney, politician
- Beryl Goldwyn, ballet dancer
- Beryl Ingham, dancer and actress
- Beryl J. Levine, female justice
- Beryl Markham, horse trainer and aviator
- Beryl Marsden, singer
- Beryl McBurnie, dancer
- Beryl Mercer, actress
- Beryl Oliver, British charity administrator
- Beryl Reid, actress
- Beryl Smalley, historian
- Beryl Vertue, television producer
Fictional characters
- Beryl the Peril, British cartoon character
- Beryl Hennessey, in The Liver Birds
- Beryl Stapleton, a character who lives in Dartmoor, in The Hound of the Baskervilles
- Beryl Patmore, the cook on the ITV series Downton Abbey
- Queen Beryl, a villainess in the anime Sailor Moon