Heloise
A female given name from French.
Proper noun
- A female given name from French.
Origin
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.