Heloise

The story

1. Latin · derived fromēligere“to pick, to choose from”
2. Medieval Latin · derived fromEligius
3. French · derived fromÉloi
4. French · derived fromHéloïse
5. Medieval Latin · derived fromHeloisa
6. English todayHeloise

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.

Words from the same roots