Holding steady, #14,942 for girls today.
Popularity of Bessy since 1914
Babies named Bessy per year in U.S. Social Security records. Raw births topped out in 2001, but relative to how few babies were recorded back then, Bessy's real moment was 1923.
Data table (by decade)
| Decade | Girls |
|---|---|
| 1910s | 15 |
| 1920s | 21 |
| 1930s | 0 |
| 1940s | 5 |
| 1950s | 0 |
| 1960s | 0 |
| 1970s | 17 |
| 1980s | 36 |
| 1990s | 52 |
| 2000s | 93 |
| 2010s | 58 |
| 2020s | 37 |
Meaning & origin
Bessy is a classic diminutive of Elizabeth, a name that has been a mainstay in English-speaking cultures for centuries. Its peak popularity in the United States occurred in 1923, reflecting the broader trend of nickname-style names like Bessie and Maggie that were common in the early 20th century. In 2025, Bessy ranked 14,942 in usage, with only about 1 in 321,453 newborn girls receiving the name, indicating it is a very rare choice today. Though it has never gone out of use entirely, its rarity lends it an old-fashioned charm. The name was first recorded in U.S. Social Security data in 1914, and its trajectory has remained stable over the past decade, suggesting a small but consistent group of parents selecting it for their daughters.
Bessy is a diminutive of Elizabeth, which itself derives from the Hebrew name Elisheva, meaning 'God is my oath.' It emerged as an independent given name in medieval England, often used as a pet form of Elizabeth or its variant Bess. The name was particularly common in the 16th and 17th centuries but saw renewed use in the 19th and early 20th centuries.
Nicknames & variants
Nicknames: Bess
Sibling names for Bessy
Names that share Bessy's style, for a brother or sister.
