Bellatrix is the third-brightest star in the constellation of Orion, 5° west of the red giant Alpha Orionis (Betelgeuse). Just between the first and second magnitude and slightly variable, it is about the 25th-brightest star in the night sky.
Gamma Orionis is the star's Bayer designation. The traditional name Bellatrix is Latin for "female warrior"; it first appeared in the works of Abu Ma'shar al-Balkhi and Johannes Hispalensis. Bellatrix was also called the Amazon Star.