Bess
Girl · BESS · Hebrew
Bess is a girls' name of Hebrew origin, meaning “my God is an oath”. In 2025 it ranked 14,937th for girls in the US (5 babies).
What does Bess mean?
Hebrew: pet form of Elizabeth
“my God is an oath”
Pet form of Elizabeth, and the nickname of Queen Elizabeth I of England, known as Good Queen Bess.
- Say it
- BESS
More on Wiktionary.
Is Bess a girl's or a boy's name?
Bess is a girls' name. In 2025, it was given to 5 girls in the US. Too few boys were given it to be listed.
How popular is Bess in the UK?
No girls in the UK were given it in 2025, or too few to be listed. Its busiest year was 2014, with 14 girls.
Half of all the girls named Bess in the UK since 1996 were born between 2009 and 2017, the years shaded on the chart below.
Bess in the UK, year by year
| Year | Girls | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 3 | #5,966 |
| 2023 | 8 | #3,098 |
| 2022 | 0 | – |
| 2021 | 4 | #4,864 |
| 2020 | 6 | #3,630 |
| 2019 | 0 | – |
| 2018 | 7 | #3,344 |
| 2017 | 7 | #3,395 |
| 2016 | 12 | #2,363 |
| 2015 | 10 | #2,629 |
| 2014 | 14 | #2,076 |
| 2013 | 7 | #3,338 |
| 2012 | 6 | #3,881 |
| 2011 | 6 | #3,737 |
| 2010 | 4 | #4,931 |
| 2009 | 10 | #2,478 |
| 2008 | 8 | #2,895 |
| 2007 | 10 | #2,354 |
| 2006 | 0 | – |
| 2005 | 0 | – |
| 2004 | 5 | #3,356 |
| 2003 | 3 | #4,560 |
| 2002 | 0 | – |
| 2001 | 0 | – |
| 2000 | 4 | #3,399 |
| 1999 | 4 | #3,374 |
How popular is Bess in the US?
- Rank in 2025
- #14,937among girls
- Babies in 2025
- 5about 1 in 320,000 girls
- Five-year trend
- Too rare to calltoo few babies to tell
- Same name in a class
- under 1%chance among 15 girls
In 2025, 5 girls in the US were named Bess, making it the 14,937th most popular name for girls. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 11,085th. Its busiest year was 1889, with 182 girls.
Half of all the girls named Bess in the US since 1880 were born between 1894 and 1930. It was already well used in 1880, when the records begin, so earlier girls aren't counted.
Bess in the US, year by year
| Year | Girls | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 5 | #14,937 |
| 2024 | 0 | – |
| 2023 | 0 | – |
| 2022 | 6 | #13,586 |
| 2021 | 0 | – |
| 2020 | 8 | #11,085 |
| 2019 | 5 | #15,532 |
| 2018 | 7 | #12,459 |
| 2017 | 0 | – |
| 2016 | 6 | #14,326 |
| 2015 | 6 | #14,477 |
| 2014 | 8 | #11,925 |
| 2013 | 7 | #13,145 |
| 2012 | 6 | #14,956 |
| 2011 | 7 | #13,339 |
| 2010 | 7 | #13,442 |
| 2009 | 8 | #12,423 |
| 2008 | 7 | #13,827 |
| 2007 | 8 | #12,671 |
| 2006 | 6 | #15,147 |
| 2005 | 18 | #6,523 |
| 2004 | 5 | #16,092 |
| 2003 | 12 | #8,500 |
| 2002 | 14 | #7,438 |
| 2001 | 10 | #9,344 |
| 2000 | 9 | #9,867 |
| 1999 | 11 | #8,216 |
| 1998 | 8 | #10,116 |
| 1997 | 14 | #6,478 |
| 1996 | 14 | #6,387 |
| 1995 | 11 | #7,509 |
| 1994 | 11 | #7,598 |
| 1993 | 14 | #6,257 |
| 1992 | 16 | #5,711 |
| 1991 | 12 | #6,969 |
| 1990 | 16 | #5,544 |
| 1989 | 20 | #4,516 |
| 1988 | 28 | #3,388 |
| 1987 | 29 | #3,166 |
| 1986 | 29 | #3,133 |
| 1985 | 27 | #3,245 |
| 1984 | 38 | #2,469 |
| 1983 | 27 | #3,064 |
| 1982 | 29 | #3,016 |
| 1981 | 38 | #2,488 |
| 1980 | 28 | #3,069 |
| 1979 | 25 | #3,236 |
| 1978 | 33 | #2,572 |
| 1977 | 26 | #3,001 |
| 1976 | 22 | #3,187 |
| 1975 | 11 | #5,159 |
| 1974 | 14 | #4,226 |
| 1973 | 20 | #3,232 |
| 1972 | 15 | #3,894 |
| 1971 | 18 | #3,507 |
| 1970 | 19 | #3,311 |
| 1969 | 20 | #3,011 |
| 1968 | 8 | #5,146 |
| 1967 | 15 | #3,339 |
| 1966 | 19 | #2,838 |
| 1965 | 19 | #2,832 |
| 1964 | 19 | #2,914 |
| 1963 | 26 | #2,363 |
| 1962 | 34 | #1,988 |
| 1961 | 33 | #2,035 |
| 1960 | 26 | #2,306 |
| 1959 | 26 | #2,233 |
| 1958 | 34 | #1,871 |
| 1957 | 28 | #2,066 |
| 1956 | 28 | #2,057 |
| 1955 | 23 | #2,279 |
| 1954 | 34 | #1,768 |
| 1953 | 23 | #2,172 |
| 1952 | 30 | #1,819 |
| 1951 | 16 | #2,576 |
| 1950 | 15 | #2,651 |
| 1949 | 20 | #2,211 |
| 1948 | 35 | #1,575 |
| 1947 | 21 | #2,145 |
| 1946 | 24 | #1,859 |
| 1945 | 21 | #1,824 |
| 1944 | 25 | #1,660 |
| 1943 | 32 | #1,466 |
| 1942 | 32 | #1,438 |
| 1941 | 31 | #1,384 |
| 1940 | 29 | #1,404 |
| 1939 | 27 | #1,424 |
| 1938 | 23 | #1,596 |
| 1937 | 18 | #1,845 |
| 1936 | 20 | #1,691 |
| 1935 | 17 | #1,917 |
| 1934 | 26 | #1,440 |
| 1933 | 28 | #1,364 |
| 1932 | 29 | #1,382 |
| 1931 | 27 | #1,420 |
| 1930 | 36 | #1,251 |
| 1929 | 33 | #1,305 |
| 1928 | 33 | #1,337 |
| 1927 | 58 | #1,000 |
| 1926 | 55 | #1,004 |
| 1925 | 64 | #932 |
| 1924 | 81 | #829 |
| 1923 | 81 | #811 |
| 1922 | 74 | #852 |
| 1921 | 84 | #797 |
| 1920 | 82 | #797 |
| 1919 | 99 | #704 |
| 1918 | 103 | #711 |
| 1917 | 103 | #670 |
| 1916 | 131 | #586 |
| 1915 | 122 | #589 |
| 1914 | 93 | #590 |
| 1913 | 119 | #457 |
| 1912 | 125 | #414 |
| 1911 | 93 | #421 |
| 1910 | 88 | #421 |
| 1909 | 95 | #381 |
| 1908 | 91 | #375 |
| 1907 | 103 | #343 |
| 1906 | 101 | #332 |
| 1905 | 87 | #362 |
| 1904 | 96 | #336 |
| 1903 | 112 | #293 |
| 1902 | 104 | #309 |
| 1901 | 107 | #289 |
| 1900 | 134 | #280 |
| 1899 | 123 | #255 |
| 1898 | 151 | #239 |
| 1897 | 137 | #243 |
| 1896 | 151 | #224 |
| 1895 | 150 | #224 |
| 1894 | 177 | #197 |
| 1893 | 169 | #197 |
| 1892 | 177 | #190 |
| 1891 | 137 | #199 |
| 1890 | 154 | #190 |
| 1889 | 182 | #164 |
| 1888 | 164 | #176 |
| 1887 | 155 | #157 |
| 1886 | 128 | #180 |
| 1885 | 97 | #191 |
| 1884 | 105 | #170 |
| 1883 | 94 | #170 |
| 1882 | 76 | #180 |
| 1881 | 52 | #208 |
| 1880 | 46 | #227 |
Names like Bess
Names given in the same years and the same naming tradition, with a similar sound.
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