Bess
Primarily a girl's name with 7,166 recorded births. Also given to 5 boys.
Meaning & Origin
A diminutive of the female given name Elizabeth.
Bess is a girl's and boy's baby name of Hebrew origin, a medieval diminutive of Elizabeth, from the Hebrew Elisheba, meaning 'my God is an oath' or 'my God is abundance.' Alongside Bessie and Beth, Bess was one of the most popular short forms of Elizabeth in earlier centuries.
Queen Elizabeth I of England was famously known as 'Good Queen Bess,' and Bess Truman — wife of President Harry Truman — gave the name a dignified First Lady association. Compact and strong, it's a name that carries genuine historical weight.
EtymologyShow more
Bess first shows up in U.S. Social Security records in 1880. Names present in the earliest SSA data (which begins in 1880) were typically carried by immigrants from Europe, handed down through families, or drawn from biblical and classical sources.
Without a confirmed origin classification, Bess may have arrived through family tradition, creative coinage, or cultural channels not yet documented in standard naming references.
At a Glance
Popularity Over Time
Bess has 141+ years of history in the U.S., first appearing in 1880.
Popularity by Decade
| Decade | Births | Avg Rank | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 14 | #12557 | ▼ |
| 2010s | 59 | #14009 | ▼ |
| 2000s | 97 | #11358 | ▼ |
| 1990s | 127 | #7143 | ▼ |
| 1980s | 293 | #3164 | ▲ |
| 1970s | 203 | #3545 | — |
| 1960s | 219 | #2889 | ▼ |
| 1950s | 257 | #2155 | — |
| 1940s | 270 | #1702 | ▲ |
| 1930s | 251 | #1539 | ▼ |
| 1920s | 645 | #968 | ▼ |
| 1910s | 1,076 | #557 | ▲ |
| 1900s | 1,030 | #330 | ▼ |
| 1890s | 1,526 | #216 | ▲ |
| 1880s | 1,099 | #182 | — |
The Story of Bess
A Greatest Generation name
Peaking in 1889, Bess is a name steeped in history. Girls named Bess are most likely born between 1880 and 1899.
How rare is Bess?
Bess has 7,166 recorded births in the U.S. — a well-established name with deep roots.
The journey through the decades
First appeared in the records in 1880, peaked in the 1890s with 1,526 births that decade, and has since become a rare, vintage choice.
Bess by the numbers
- Would fill 149 school buses
- Meeting one Bess per day would take 19.6 years
Year-by-Year Data
View complete yearly data(141 years, 1880–2022)
| Year | Births | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 6 | #13858 |
| 2020 | 8 | #11255 |
| 2019 | 5 | #15908 |
| 2018 | 7 | #12697 |
| 2016 | 6 | #14621 |
| 2015 | 6 | #14794 |
| 2014 | 8 | #12122 |
| 2013 | 7 | #13400 |
| 2012 | 6 | #15266 |
| 2011 | 7 | #13585 |
| 2010 | 7 | #13686 |
| 2009 | 8 | #12619 |
| 2008 | 7 | #14070 |
| 2007 | 8 | #12855 |
| 2006 | 6 | #15428 |
| 2005 | 18 | #6572 |
| 2004 | 5 | #16474 |
| 2003 | 12 | #8595 |
| 2002 | 14 | #7492 |
| 2001 | 10 | #9462 |
Source: U.S. Social Security Administration. Showing years with 5+ recorded births.
Bess as a Boy's Name
While overwhelmingly a girl's name, Bess has also been given to 5 boys in the U.S. since 1894.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Bess a boy's or girl's name?
When was Bess most popular?
How popular is the name Bess?
Can Bess be used for both boys and girls?
Data source: U.S. Social Security Administration, 1880–2022