Bessie
A pet form of Elizabeth, Hebrew Elisheva.
Popularity, 1880–2025
A Victorian pet form of Elizabeth that stood on its own in the 1880s and 1890s.
Bessie appears in the national records from the very first year, 1880. It has ranked among the top 100 names for American girls in every year from 1880 to 1927. Its biggest year was 1916, when 4,122 newborn girls received the name, ranking it No. 56 nationally. Its best ranking came in 1889, at No. 9. All told, 170,877 Americans have been given the name since 1880.
Related names
Other names that share a story: Elizabeth
Explore Bessie interactively →By the decade
| Decade | Births | Best rank |
|---|---|---|
| 1880s | 15,373 | No. 9 |
| 1890s | 24,417 | No. 11 |
| 1900s | 23,984 | No. 15 |
| 1910s | 33,859 | No. 37 |
| 1920s | 32,158 | No. 71 |
| 1930s | 18,035 | No. 108 |
| 1940s | 11,062 | No. 162 |
| 1950s | 5,942 | No. 270 |
| 1960s | 2,592 | No. 493 |
| 1970s | 1,207 | No. 844 |
| 1980s | 749 | No. 1253 |
| 1990s | 386 | No. 1905 |
| 2000s | 180 | No. 3983 |
| 2010s | 109 | No. 7031 |
| 2020s | 87 | No. 6691 |
Births and rank shown for girls, the sex more often given the name. The Social Security Administration omits name–year combinations with fewer than five births.
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Data: U.S. Social Security Administration national baby-name file, 1880–2025.