Fun Facts About the Name Bess
- More than 7 thousand babies named Bess: U.S. records list 7,176 babies given the name Bess from 1880 through 2025. Even 5 boys received the name Bess - about 1 boy for every 1,434 girls.
What Does the Name Bess Mean?
Bess is an English familiar form of Elizabeth. Elizabeth comes from the Hebrew name Elisheva, commonly explained as "God is my oath" or "God is abundance." The first element is el, "God"; the second element is traditionally understood as "oath," while the "abundance" interpretation is an alternative. The exact literal sense is uncertain. The conventional English meaning attached to Elizabeth, and inherited by Bess, is "God is my oath." Bess has no separate etymology of its own.
Bess Name History & Origins
Elizabeth entered English from Latin Elisabeth, which came from Greek Elisabet and ultimately from Hebrew Elisheva. English speakers formed several shortened and altered familiar versions of Elizabeth, including Bess, Bessie, Betsy, Betty, Eliza, and Libby. Bess is a nickname rather than a separate name with an independent root. In English historical usage, Elizabeth I was popularly called Good Queen Bess, and the Elizabethan noblewoman Elizabeth Talbot, Countess of Shrewsbury, was known as Bess of Hardwick.
How Popular is the Name Bess?
Bess recorded its highest annual U.S. birth count in 1889. Its best rank was #157 in 1887.
U.S. name popularity from 1880-2025, based on SSA data. Rank shows how the name compares with other names - lower numbers mean greater popularity. Births shows how many babies received the name each year.
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #15,307 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 2022 | #13,858 | 6 | 0.0004% |
| 2020 | #11,255 | 8 | 0.0005% |
| 2019 | #15,908 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 2018 | #12,697 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 2016 | #14,621 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 2015 | #14,794 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 2014 | #12,122 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 2013 | #13,400 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 2012 | #15,266 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 2011 | #13,585 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 2010 | #13,686 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 2009 | #12,619 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 2008 | #14,070 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 2007 | #12,855 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 2006 | #15,428 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 2005 | #6,572 | 18 | 0.0010% |
| 2004 | #16,474 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 2003 | #8,595 | 12 | 0.0007% |
| 2002 | #7,492 | 14 | 0.0008% |
| 2001 | #9,462 | 10 | 0.0006% |
| 2000 | #10,008 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 1999 | #8,304 | 11 | 0.0006% |
| 1998 | #10,251 | 8 | 0.0005% |
| 1997 | #6,533 | 14 | 0.0008% |
| 1996 | #6,443 | 14 | 0.0008% |
| 1995 | #7,576 | 11 | 0.0006% |
| 1994 | #7,666 | 11 | 0.0006% |
| 1993 | #6,306 | 14 | 0.0008% |
| 1992 | #5,752 | 16 | 0.0009% |
| 1991 | #7,014 | 12 | 0.0006% |
| 1990 | #5,586 | 16 | 0.0008% |
| 1989 | #4,534 | 20 | 0.0011% |
| 1988 | #3,400 | 28 | 0.0016% |
| 1987 | #3,178 | 29 | 0.0017% |
| 1986 | #3,140 | 29 | 0.0017% |
| 1985 | #3,255 | 27 | 0.0016% |
| 1984 | #2,475 | 38 | 0.0023% |
| 1983 | #3,072 | 27 | 0.0016% |
| 1982 | #3,021 | 29 | 0.0017% |
| 1981 | #2,493 | 38 | 0.0023% |
| 1980 | #3,075 | 28 | 0.0017% |
| 1979 | #3,251 | 25 | 0.0016% |
| 1978 | #2,577 | 33 | 0.0022% |
| 1977 | #3,008 | 26 | 0.0017% |
| 1976 | #3,196 | 22 | 0.0015% |
| 1975 | #5,189 | 11 | 0.0008% |
| 1974 | #4,244 | 14 | 0.0010% |
| 1973 | #3,241 | 20 | 0.0014% |
| 1972 | #3,910 | 15 | 0.0010% |
| 1971 | #3,516 | 18 | 0.0011% |
| 1970 | #3,319 | 19 | 0.0011% |
| 1969 | #3,018 | 20 | 0.0012% |
| 1968 | #5,179 | 8 | 0.0005% |
| 1967 | #3,356 | 15 | 0.0009% |
| 1966 | #2,852 | 19 | 0.0011% |
| 1965 | #2,843 | 19 | 0.0011% |
| 1964 | #2,923 | 19 | 0.0010% |
| 1963 | #2,373 | 26 | 0.0013% |
| 1962 | #1,993 | 34 | 0.0017% |
| 1961 | #2,039 | 33 | 0.0016% |
| 1960 | #2,315 | 26 | 0.0013% |
| 1959 | #2,237 | 26 | 0.0013% |
| 1958 | #1,877 | 34 | 0.0017% |
| 1957 | #2,071 | 28 | 0.0014% |
| 1956 | #2,059 | 28 | 0.0014% |
| 1955 | #2,282 | 23 | 0.0012% |
| 1954 | #1,772 | 34 | 0.0018% |
| 1953 | #2,177 | 23 | 0.0012% |
| 1952 | #1,824 | 30 | 0.0016% |
| 1951 | #2,585 | 16 | 0.0009% |
| 1950 | #2,670 | 15 | 0.0009% |
| 1949 | #2,217 | 20 | 0.0012% |
| 1948 | #1,576 | 35 | 0.0021% |
| 1947 | #2,153 | 21 | 0.0012% |
| 1946 | #1,865 | 24 | 0.0015% |
| 1945 | #1,831 | 21 | 0.0016% |
| 1944 | #1,668 | 25 | 0.0019% |
| 1943 | #1,471 | 32 | 0.0023% |
| 1942 | #1,444 | 32 | 0.0024% |
| 1941 | #1,385 | 31 | 0.0026% |
| 1940 | #1,409 | 29 | 0.0025% |
| 1939 | #1,429 | 27 | 0.0025% |
| 1938 | #1,602 | 23 | 0.0021% |
| 1937 | #1,852 | 18 | 0.0017% |
| 1936 | #1,696 | 20 | 0.0019% |
| 1935 | #1,930 | 17 | 0.0016% |
| 1934 | #1,443 | 26 | 0.0025% |
| 1933 | #1,370 | 28 | 0.0028% |
| 1932 | #1,387 | 29 | 0.0027% |
| 1931 | #1,424 | 27 | 0.0025% |
| 1930 | #1,253 | 36 | 0.0032% |
| 1929 | #1,312 | 33 | 0.0030% |
| 1928 | #1,342 | 33 | 0.0029% |
| 1927 | #1,000 | 58 | 0.0049% |
| 1926 | #1,005 | 55 | 0.0046% |
| 1925 | #932 | 64 | 0.0053% |
| 1924 | #830 | 81 | 0.0065% |
| 1923 | #812 | 81 | 0.0067% |
| 1922 | #853 | 74 | 0.0062% |
| 1921 | #798 | 84 | 0.0068% |
| 1920 | #798 | 82 | 0.0068% |
| 1919 | #704 | 99 | 0.0088% |
| 1918 | #712 | 103 | 0.0089% |
| 1917 | #671 | 103 | 0.0095% |
| 1916 | #586 | 131 | 0.0125% |
| 1915 | #589 | 122 | 0.0124% |
| 1914 | #590 | 93 | 0.0122% |
| 1913 | #457 | 119 | 0.0191% |
| 1912 | #415 | 125 | 0.0224% |
| 1911 | #421 | 93 | 0.0222% |
| 1910 | #421 | 88 | 0.0222% |
| 1909 | #381 | 95 | 0.0274% |
| 1908 | #376 | 91 | 0.0272% |
| 1907 | #343 | 103 | 0.0323% |
| 1906 | #332 | 101 | 0.0342% |
| 1905 | #362 | 87 | 0.0298% |
| 1904 | #336 | 96 | 0.0349% |
| 1903 | #293 | 112 | 0.0428% |
| 1902 | #309 | 104 | 0.0394% |
| 1901 | #289 | 107 | 0.0447% |
| 1900 | #280 | 134 | 0.0447% |
| 1899 | #255 | 123 | 0.0528% |
| 1898 | #239 | 151 | 0.0584% |
| 1897 | #243 | 137 | 0.0585% |
| 1896 | #224 | 151 | 0.0635% |
| 1895 | #224 | 150 | 0.0642% |
| 1894 | #197 | 177 | 0.0794% |
| 1893 | #197 | 169 | 0.0794% |
| 1892 | #190 | 177 | 0.0834% |
| 1891 | #199 | 137 | 0.0739% |
| 1890 | #190 | 154 | 0.0809% |
| 1889 | #164 | 182 | 0.1020% |
| 1888 | #176 | 164 | 0.0918% |
| 1887 | #157 | 155 | 0.1062% |
| 1886 | #180 | 128 | 0.0886% |
| 1885 | #192 | 97 | 0.0729% |
| 1884 | #170 | 105 | 0.0814% |
| 1883 | #170 | 94 | 0.0837% |
| 1882 | #180 | 76 | 0.0705% |
| 1881 | #208 | 52 | 0.0566% |
| 1880 | #227 | 46 | 0.0506% |
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1894 | #1,096 | 5 | 0.0043% |
Name popularity over more than a century, based on Social Security Administration data. Gaps in the chart indicate years when the name does not appear in the published records.
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How the Name Bess Shapes Your Personality and Life?
You can go to great heights and equally great depths. You are emotional and fixed in your opinions. You are hospitable, sentimental, often psychic, sometimes moody. You are ruled by love and the lack of it and feel a need to be encouraged and appreciated. You have an eventful, exciting life. You are versatile and have the ability to learn easily.
You desire to inspire and lead, to control other's affairs. You are giving, courageous and bold, action oriented,energetic and strong willed. You want to make a difference in the world, and this attitude often attracts you to cultural interests, politics, social issues, and the cultivation of your creative talents.
✦ Bess's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Bess's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.