Bessie

Girl name

Bessie has been given to 170,877 babies in the U.S. since 1880. It peaked in 1916.

Meaning & origin /ˈbɛsi/

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

Popularity over time births per year, 1880–2025

Hover or tap the chart to read any year.

Total babies

170,877

Peak year

1916 (4,132 babies)

Rank in 2025

Below top 1000

First recorded

1880

10-year trend

▲ +45%

Gender split

100% girls / 0% boys

Famous people named Bessie

Wallis Simpson

American socialite and wife of the Duke of Windsor (1896-1986)

Bessie Smith

American blues singer (1892–1937)

Bessie Coleman

American aviator (1892–1926)

Bessie Love

American actress (1898–1986)

Notability data from Wikidata (CC0).

Names with a similar vibe

Same primary gender, peaked around the same years, and roughly as common as Bessie.

Almagirl

165,942 babies since 1880

Gertrudegirl

177,668 babies since 1880

Pearlgirl

163,010 babies since 1880

Minniegirl

160,067 babies since 1880

Agnesgirl

159,982 babies since 1880

Lilliegirl

159,791 babies since 1880

Bernicegirl

185,533 babies since 1880

Nelliegirl

153,284 babies since 1880

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