Girl

Bess

BES

Rare & Uncommon ✦ Vintage

✦ Meaning

“Hebrew diminutive of Elizabeth, meaning 'oath of God.' Short and punchy with working-class British charm from centuries of usage.”

Popularity Over Time

Bess US popularity rank over timeRank 18457 in 2004 to rank 280 in 1900. Lower rank numbers are more popular.#280#9369#184571900192019401960198020002022

Bess is not currently in the US top 1000.

Origin

Hebrew

Syllables

1

Style

VintageClassicStrongTimeless

Famous Bearers

  • Queen Elizabeth I (called Bess)
  • Bess Truman (First Lady)

Collections

Beautiful But Not Top 100 → Short & Strong → Royal Names → Vintage Revival →

Similar Names

Bessie

Hebrew Rare & Uncommon

Betsy

Hebrew Rare & Uncommon

Sibling Name Ideas

Lucy

Latin Top 50

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People Also Ask

Hebrew diminutive of Elizabeth, meaning 'oath of God.' Short and punchy with working-class British charm from centuries of usage.

Bess is not currently in the US top 1000, making it a genuinely rare choice. It's making a comeback as part of the vintage name wave.

Bess works beautifully as a full name and does not lend itself to an obvious short form. Most parents see that as a feature.

Names that pair beautifully with Bess include Lucy.