Besse

A girl's name of Hebrew origin with 671 recorded U.S. births.

Girl's nameRare nameNot ranked recently

Meaning & Origin

A surname from French.

Besse is a girl's baby name of Hebrew origin, a variant of Bessie, a traditional diminutive of Elizabeth, from the Hebrew Elisheba, meaning 'my God is an oath' or 'my God is abundance.' Elizabeth is one of the most significant feminine names in the Judeo-Christian tradition, borne by saints, queens, and matriarchs.

Besse is the streamlined form, dropping the -ie ending for a clean, two-syllable version. Like Bessie, it evokes the warm, unpretentious quality of late Victorian naming — a name with genuine Old Testament roots that was given without ceremony, carrying its royal and biblical heritage lightly.

EtymologyShow more

The ending of a name often carries more etymological information than the beginning. Besse's final sounds are open, approachable — ending on a vowel softens the overall impression. In English-language naming, many feminine names end on open vowels or soft consonants, creating a melodic, approachable quality. Besse follows that feminine pattern.

Explore the ending-based name pages on this site to find names that share Besse's suffix pattern — names with similar endings often share a style and era, even when they come from different linguistic backgrounds.

At a Glance

671

Total births

Since 1880

1889

Peak

39 births

1880

First recorded

47 years of data

Compare Besse with another name

Popularity Over Time

Besse has 43+ years of history in the U.S., first appearing in 1880.

First appeared: 1880Peak: 1889 (39 births)

Popularity by Decade

Decade-by-decade popularity data for Besse
Decade	Births	Avg Rank	Trend
1920s	66	#3525	▼
1910s	78	#2790	▼
1900s	102	#1275	▼
1890s	211	#695	—
1880s	214	#477	—

The Story of Besse

A Greatest Generation name

Peaking in 1889, Besse is a name steeped in history. Girls named Besse are most likely born between 1880 and 1899.

How rare is Besse?

With 671 total births on record, Besse remains a rare and distinctive pick.

The journey through the decades

First appeared in the records in 1880, peaked in the 1880s with 214 births that decade, and has gracefully settled into a quieter chapter.

Besse by the numbers

Would fill 14 school buses
Meeting one Besse per day would take 1.8 years

Year-by-Year Data

View complete yearly data(43 years, 1880–1926)

Year-by-year popularity data for the name Besse
Year	Births	Rank	Change
1926	8	#3613	+3 (60.0%)
1925	5	#5058	-2 (-28.6%)
1924	7	#4046	-4 (-36.4%)
1923	11	#2937	-3 (-21.4%)
1922	14	#2498	0
1921	14	#2517	+7 (100.0%)
1920	7	#4005	+2 (40.0%)
1919	5	#4902	-9 (-64.3%)
1918	14	#2395	-1 (-6.7%)
1917	15	#2214	+2 (15.4%)
1916	13	#2382	+4 (44.4%)
1915	9	#2926	+3 (50.0%)
1914	6	#3239	-10 (-62.5%)
1913	16	#1473	+5 (45.5%)
1909	11	#1299	+2 (22.2%)
1908	9	#1450	-3 (-25.0%)
1906	12	#1106	+7 (140.0%)
1905	5	#1966	-1 (-16.7%)
1904	6	#1681	-7 (-53.8%)
1903	13	#978	-6 (-31.6%)

Source: U.S. Social Security Administration. Showing years with 5+ recorded births.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Besse a boy's or girl's name?

Besse is primarily a girl's name.

When was Besse most popular?

Besse reached its peak popularity in 1889 with 39 births that year. It is not currently in the top rankings.

How popular is the name Besse?

Besse is not currently in the top rankings but has been given to 671 babies in the U.S. since 1880. Its peak was in 1889.

Explore More

By Length5-letter names By OriginHebrew names By EndingNames in -e TrendingRising names RankingsFull rankings

Data source: U.S. Social Security Administration, 1880–1926