Baby Names US
girls' name ★ peaked 1916

Bessie

Gender Girl Rank 2025 #6,889

A diminutive of the female given name Elizabeth, also used as a formal female given name.

Rank 2025
#6,889
among girls · ↑2,777 vs 2024
Babies in 2025
16
named Bessie
How common
1 in 100,454
girls born in 2025
Peak year
1916
4,132 babies
All-time total
170,877
#233 all-time among girls
First recorded
1880
in Social Security records

Bessie popularity over time

170,877 babies have been named Bessie 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
3.757.511.251518801900192019401960198020002020GirlsBoys
GirlsBoys

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 Boys Total Per year Change Best rank
1880s 15,373 58 15,431 1,543 – #9
1890s 24,417 74 24,491 2,449 +59% #11
1900s 23,984 93 24,077 2,408 -2% #15
1910s 33,859 132 33,991 3,399 +41% #37
1920s 32,158 189 32,347 3,235 -5% #71
1930s 18,035 147 18,182 1,818 -44% #108
1940s 11,062 39 11,101 1,110 -39% #162
1950s 5,942 5 5,947 595 -46% #270
1960s 2,592 – 2,592 259 -56% #493
1970s 1,207 – 1,207 121 -53% #844
1980s 749 – 749 75 -38% #1,254
1990s 386 – 386 39 -48% #1,907
2000s 180 – 180 18 -53% #3,995
2010s 109 – 109 11 -39% #7,102
2020s (to 2025) 87 – 87 15 +33% #6,735

The story of Bessie

Bessie is rare for girls in the United States, ranked #6,889 in 2025 with 16 babies given the name. It is currently rising compared with a decade ago.

Since 1880, 170,877 American babies have been named Bessie. Its peak came in 1916, when 4,132 newborns received the name, the signature sound of the 1910s.

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 Bessie stood among all girls' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.

How old are people named Bessie?

The median living Bessie is about 78 years old; half are between 67 and 86. An estimated 23 thousand people named Bessie are alive in the United States today.

median 78 020406080100

Estimated from births per year and Social Security period life tables; an approximation of the living age distribution, by age in years.

Bessie year by year

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

Year Girls Girls rank Boys Boys rank
2025 16 #6,889 – –
2024 10 #9,666 – –
2023 15 #7,308 – –
2022 13 #8,113 – –
2021 17 #6,735 – –
2020 16 #6,974 – –
2019 11 #9,220 – –
2018 9 #10,700 – –
2017 12 #8,883 – –
2016 8 #11,963 – –
2015 11 #9,581 – –
2014 11 #9,635 – –
2013 17 #7,102 – –
2012 13 #8,706 – –
2011 9 #11,318 – –
2010 8 #12,456 – –
2009 9 #11,604 – –
2008 15 #8,185 – –
2007 15 #8,161 – –
2006 19 #6,626 – –
2005 15 #7,565 – –
2004 7 #12,960 – –
2003 15 #7,262 – –
2002 28 #4,397 – –
2001 26 #4,580 – –
2000 31 #3,995 – –
1995 26 #3,987 – –
1990 73 #1,907 – –
1985 85 #1,461 – –
1980 99 #1,288 – –
1975 131 #957 – –
1970 160 #844 – –
1965 273 #579 – –
1960 385 #493 – –
1955 533 #381 – –
1950 794 #270 – –
1945 1,075 #190 – –
1940 1,297 #162 6 #3,163
1935 1,756 #129 20 #1,545
1930 2,382 #108 23 #1,536
1925 3,266 #87 14 #2,206
1920 3,906 #71 14 #2,234
1915 3,888 #57 15 #1,887
1910 2,392 #37 12 #936
1905 2,446 #20 9 #844
1900 3,044 #15 11 #790
1895 2,542 #15 7 #884
1890 2,370 #11 – –
1885 1,588 #13 7 #770
1880 796 #23 – –

Famous people named Bessie

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

  1. 1 Bessie Coleman Bessie Coleman Afro-Indigenous pioneer in aviation (1892–1926) 19th century
  2. 2 Bessie Smith Bessie Smith American blues singer (1892–1937) 1894–1937 · 19th century
  3. 3 Bessie Love Bessie Love American actress (1898–1986) 19th century
  4. 4 Bessie Head Bessie Head Botswana writer (1937–1986) Contemporary

Portraits from Wikipedia (Wikimedia Commons).

Frequently asked questions

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

How old is the average Bessie?

The median living Bessie is about 78 years old. Half of all living Bessies are between 67 and 86 years old.

How many people named Bessie are alive today?

An estimated 23 thousand people named Bessie are alive in the United States, based on 170,877 recorded births and Social Security life tables.

What does the name Bessie mean?

A diminutive of the female given name Elizabeth, also used as a formal female given name.

How popular is the name Bessie in 2025?

Bessie ranked #6,889 among girls' names in the United States in 2025, with 16 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.

How many people are named Bessie?

170,877 babies have been named Bessie in the United States since 1880, based on Social Security card applications.

When was the name Bessie most popular?

Bessie peaked in 1916, when 4,132 newborns received the name.

Is Bessie a boy or girl name?

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

Is the name Bessie rising or falling?

Bessie is on the rise, noticeably more popular now than a decade ago.

Who are famous people named Bessie?

Well-known people named Bessie include Bessie Coleman (pilot), Bessie Smith (singer), Bessie Love (actor).

Names like Bessie

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

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