Here's How Beyoncé's Name Will Be Included in the French Dictionary's New Edition

Beyoncé who recently released her eighth studio album, Cowboy Carter, on 29 March 2024, has another feather to her name. According to The Times U.K., the Halo singer has earned a spot in the French encyclopedic dictionary Petit Larousse Illustré, in their new 2024 edition. The 42-year-old has been listed as a proper noun in the dictionary listed as- "American singer of R&B and pop." 

As per the outlet, she is among the 40 French and foreign personalities selected for 2024's update of the dictionary, which was first published in 1905. Some of the other prominent names that are to be listed include Cate Blanchett, LeBron James, and Christopher Nolan. Carine Girac-Marinier, head of dictionaries and encyclopedias at Larousse, told French outlet Le Point, "[The new entries] reflect concerns, developments or strong movements this year." 

A group of jury members drafts a yearly roundup of around 150 people and terms familiar to the French community, reflecting the values of the Petit Larousse — excellence and promotion of French culture. The individuals who qualify get eventually endorsed by Petit Larousse Illustré. Interestingly, Beyoncé has familial ties to the French culture— both her maternal grandparents were Louisiana Creoles who spoke the language. Her surname was originally spelled 'Beyincé', inherited from her maternal lineage.

In her new album, Cowboy Carter, Queen B, spelled her name as 'Beyincé'. Although fans were worried it was a typo, it was instead the pop icon embracing her roots. In a Spotify podcast In My Head With Heather Thomson, the singer's mother, Tina Knowles shared that her maiden name was misspelled as 'Beyoncé' on her birth certificate due to an admin error which remained unchanged.

Knowles revealed, "I think me and my brother Skip were the only two had B-E-Y-O-N-C-E...It's interesting- and it shows you the times- because we asked my mother when I was grown. I was like, 'Why is my brother's name spelled B-E-Y-I-N-C-E? You know, it's all these different spelling. And my mom's reply to me was like, 'That's what they put on your birth certificate.'" She continued, "So I said, 'Well, why didn't you argue and make them correct it?' And she said, 'I did one time. The first time I was told to be happy that you're getting a birth certificate because, at one time, Black people didn't get birth certificates." 

The Run the World singer has had a successful start this year with her new album Cowboy Carter which debuted at No.1 on Billboard’s Top Country Albums, Americana/Folk Albums, and Top Album Sales charts, as per Billboard. She's also the first black woman to produce the Top Country Albums list and only the third woman — to have logged 100 or more titles since the chart began in 1958.