Bessie

Did you know?

A few things about Bessie you might not know, from US birth records and Wikipedia. Handy for convincing a partner, or a grandparent.

⭐ Famous Bessie

Bessie Smith

American blues singer (1892–1937)

Choose Bessie and your child shares a first name with Bessie Smith, an American blues singer. A ready-made answer when someone asks “Bessie, like who?” Bessie Smith's Wikipedia article is available in 57 languages, a good sign of just how widely known they are.

Read about Bessie Smith on Wikipedia ↗ (opens in a new tab)

Photo: Carl Van Vechten, Public domain (opens in a new tab), via Wikimedia Commons

• 👶How commonAbout 1 in every 100,000 baby girls born in the US in 2025 was named Bessie, 16 babies in all. In a typical school of 500 kids, your Bessie would very likely be the only one.
• 📜HistoryBessie has been in use since at least 1880, the first year US birth records were kept. That's 145 years of Bessies, and counting.
• 🏆Best yearIt was far more popular in 1889, when it ranked #9. Today it's #6,838, so it could be due a comeback.
• 🚀TrendBessie has climbed 85 places in the US rankings over the last five years and now sits at #6,838. Fast risers like this often keep climbing, so expect to hear it more.
• 💬MeaningBessie is an English form of Elizabeth, which means “God is my oath”.

About the name Bessie

Bessie is a girl name meaning “God is my oath”. It has 6 letters and 2 syllables, starting with B and ending in “-sie”. US birth records list Bessie for girls from 1880 to 2025, in 146 of those 146 years. Its best year was 1889, when it ranked #9 among girl names. In 2025 it ranked #6,838, with 16 babies.