Baby Names US
girls' name ★ peaked 1889

Besse

Gender Girl Rank 2025 Below top lists
Rank 2025
–
among girls
Babies in 2025
<5
named Besse
How common
–
girls born in 2025
Peak year
1889
39 babies
All-time total
671
#9,798 all-time among girls
First recorded
1880
in Social Security records

Besse popularity over time

671 babies have been named Besse since 1880, according to official Social Security records. Switch measure to see births per year or the yearly rank.

Measure
Births per 1,000 babies of that sex, comparable across eras
0.060.130.190.2518801900192019401960198020002020Peak 1889Girls

By decade. Change compares yearly averages, so the current partial decade is on equal footing. Best rank is the name's best yearly rank within the decade.

Decade Girls Per year Change Best rank
1880s 214 21 – #388
1890s 211 21 -1% #415
1900s 102 10 -52% #800
1910s 78 8 -24% #1,473
1920s 66 7 -15% #2,498
1930s – – – –
1940s – – – –
1950s – – – –
1960s – – – –
1970s – – – –
1980s – – – –
1990s – – – –
2000s – – – –
2010s – – – –
2020s (to 2025) – – – –

The story of Besse

Besse is not currently in use for newborns in the United States: fewer than five babies received the name in 2025. Its story lives in the historical record below.

Since 1880, 671 American babies have been named Besse. Its peak came in 1889, when 39 newborns received the name, the signature sound of the late 1800s.

The chart above shows the full history: the popularity view (births per 1,000 babies) is the honest comparison across generations, since total US births have changed enormously since 1880. Switch to the rank view to see where Besse stood among all girls' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.

Besse year by year

Every year since 2001, and five-year steps back to 1880. Rank is within each sex.

Year Girls Girls rank
2025 – –
2024 – –
2023 – –
2022 – –
2021 – –
2020 – –
2019 – –
2018 – –
2017 – –
2016 – –
2015 – –
2014 – –
2013 – –
2012 – –
2011 – –
2010 – –
2009 – –
2008 – –
2007 – –
2006 – –
2005 – –
2004 – –
2003 – –
2002 – –
2001 – –
2000 – –
1995 – –
1990 – –
1985 – –
1980 – –
1975 – –
1970 – –
1965 – –
1960 – –
1955 – –
1950 – –
1945 – –
1940 – –
1935 – –
1930 – –
1925 5 #5,058
1920 7 #4,005
1915 9 #2,926
1910 – –
1905 5 #1,966
1900 20 #835
1895 31 #530
1890 37 #415
1885 23 #439
1880 10 #549

Famous people named Besse

The most globally famous bearers of the name, ranked by fame across Wikipedia editions (Pantheon project, MIT).

  1. 1 Besse Cooper Besse Cooper American supercentenarian (1896–2012) 19th century

Portraits from Wikipedia (Wikimedia Commons).

Frequently asked questions

Quick answers about Besse, drawn from the same Social Security data as the charts above.

How popular is the name Besse in 2025?

Besse did not appear in the 2025 Social Security data, which means fewer than five babies received the name that year.

How many people are named Besse?

671 babies have been named Besse in the United States since 1880, based on Social Security card applications.

When was the name Besse most popular?

Besse peaked in 1889, when 39 newborns received the name.

Is Besse a boy or girl name?

Besse is overwhelmingly a girl's name: 100% of babies with the name.

Is the name Besse rising or falling?

Besse has been roughly stable over the past decade.

Who are famous people named Besse?

Well-known people named Besse include Besse Cooper (politician).

Names like Besse

Names that sound and feel close to Besse: shared sounds, similar era, similar popularity. Each links to its full history.

Compare Besse with similar names → More names starting with B →