Fun Facts About the Name Bessy
- 334 babies named Bessy: U.S. records list 334 babies given the name Bessy from 1880 through 2025.
What Does the Name Bessy Mean?
Bessy is an English pet form of Bess, a short form of Elizabeth. Its meaning comes from Elizabeth, not from an independent Hebrew root. Elizabeth derives from the Hebrew name Elisheva, traditionally interpreted as "God is my oath." The first element is el, "God"; the second element is commonly connected with an oath or with abundance, and its precise sense is disputed. Because Bessy is a diminutive, the added -y does not change the underlying meaning.
Bessy Name History & Origins
The name Elizabeth reached English through Greek Elisabet, Latin Elisabeth, and related French forms of Hebrew Elisheva. In English usage, Bess became a familiar short form of Elizabeth. Bessy developed from Bess by adding the diminutive ending -y, a common way of making affectionate English pet names. The spelling Bessie is also used. Bessy therefore has its own English formation, while its root meaning comes from the older Hebrew name.
How Popular is the Name Bessy?
Bessy has historically been an exceptionally rare given name in the United States, remaining well outside the national mainstream. It saw its highest recorded annual births in 2001. Its best rank was #3,152 in 1923.
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 | #15,308 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 2024 | #13,694 | 6 | 0.0004% |
| 2022 | #12,442 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 2021 | #10,419 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 2020 | #9,662 | 10 | 0.0006% |
| 2019 | #15,909 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 2018 | #11,576 | 8 | 0.0005% |
| 2017 | #10,826 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 2015 | #11,029 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 2014 | #11,125 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 2013 | #14,904 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 2012 | #15,267 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 2010 | #15,264 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 2009 | #15,539 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 2008 | #12,761 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 2007 | #10,233 | 11 | 0.0006% |
| 2006 | #9,382 | 12 | 0.0006% |
| 2005 | #11,055 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 2004 | #9,351 | 11 | 0.0006% |
| 2003 | #10,547 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 2002 | #11,284 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 2001 | #7,797 | 13 | 0.0007% |
| 2000 | #13,390 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1999 | #14,705 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1996 | #12,023 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1995 | #13,683 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1994 | #7,667 | 11 | 0.0006% |
| 1993 | #11,947 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1992 | #11,919 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1991 | #10,393 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1990 | #11,560 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1989 | #12,592 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1988 | #7,757 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 1987 | #6,841 | 10 | 0.0006% |
| 1983 | #9,133 | 6 | 0.0004% |
| 1980 | #9,207 | 6 | 0.0004% |
| 1979 | #10,360 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1975 | #8,079 | 6 | 0.0004% |
| 1973 | #7,516 | 6 | 0.0004% |
| 1940 | #4,428 | 5 | 0.0004% |
| 1927 | #4,359 | 6 | 0.0005% |
| 1924 | #5,160 | 5 | 0.0004% |
| 1923 | #3,152 | 10 | 0.0008% |
| 1918 | #4,902 | 5 | 0.0004% |
| 1917 | #4,678 | 5 | 0.0005% |
| 1914 | #3,688 | 5 | 0.0007% |
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.
Explore More Lists with Name Bessy
Most Popular Girl Names That Start with B
Short Girl Names That Start with B
How the Name Bessy 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 are very intuitive. You have a reservoir of inspired wisdom combined with inherited analytical ability, which could reward you through expressions of spiritual leadership, business analysis, marketing, artistic visions, and scientific research. Operating on spiritual side of your individuality can bring you to the great heights, and drop you off if you neglect your spiritual identity. You are always looking for an opportunity to investigate the unknown, to use and show your mental abilities, to find the purpose and meaning of life. You want to grow wise and to understand people and things. You need privacy to replenish your energy. You have a unique way of thinking, intuitive, reflective, absorbing.
✦ Bessy's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Bessy's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.