Besan
A girl's name with 116 recorded U.S. births.
Meaning & Origin
mizzen, mizzensail
Besan is a girl's baby name of Arabic origin, from the Arabic bisan — the Arabic name for Beit She'an, the ancient city in northern Israel (the biblical city of Beth-Shean), or possibly from the Arabic bisān ('a type of tree'). The city of Beit She'an is one of the oldest continuously inhabited places in the world, making Besan a name of extraordinary historical depth.
Besan carries the Arabic name for one of the world's oldest cities — Beit She'an, inhabited for twelve thousand years, a crossroads of Canaanite, Egyptian, Israelite, Hellenistic, Roman, Byzantine, and Arab civilizations. A name from the place where history has been made and remade for millennia.
EtymologyShow more
Besan's linguistic roots are not definitively traced to a single tradition. Names that emerged in late-twentieth-century America were often created by blending sounds, respelling existing names, or combining elements from multiple languages — a form of linguistic creativity that makes pinning down a single origin difficult.
What the data does show: Besan has 116 recorded U.S. births as a girl's name, with its clean, contemporary ending among the most common endings in modern American names.
At a Glance
Popularity Over Time
Besan has 14+ years of history in the U.S., first appearing in 2008.
Popularity by Decade
| Decade | Births | Avg Rank | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 30 | #12232 | ▼ |
| 2010s | 78 | #11962 | ▲ |
| 2000s | 8 | #12760 | — |
The Story of Besan
A Gen Alpha name
Peaking in 2014, Besan is a fresh, modern favorite. Girls named Besan are most likely born between 2008 and 2024.
How rare is Besan?
Only about 1 in every 450,000 babies born in 2024 was named Besan — a truly uncommon choice.
The journey through the decades
First appeared in the records in 2008, peaked in the 2010s with 78 births that decade, and has gracefully settled into a quieter chapter.
Besan by the numbers
- Would fill 2 school buses
Year-by-Year Data
View complete yearly data(14 years, 2008–2024)
| Year | Births | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 8 | #11235 |
| 2022 | 5 | #15673 |
| 2021 | 10 | #9673 |
| 2020 | 7 | #12347 |
| 2019 | 9 | #10606 |
| 2018 | 8 | #11575 |
| 2017 | 8 | #11819 |
| 2016 | 6 | #14620 |
| 2015 | 9 | #11028 |
| 2014 | 17 | #7037 |
| 2013 | 6 | #14903 |
| 2012 | 7 | #13725 |
| 2011 | 8 | #12344 |
| 2008 | 8 | #12760 |
Source: U.S. Social Security Administration. Showing years with 5+ recorded births.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Besan a boy's or girl's name?
When was Besan most popular?
How popular is the name Besan?
Data source: U.S. Social Security Administration, 2008–2024