Bessie
Meaning & Origin
Meaning: God is My Oath; Diminutive of Elizabeth
Background: The name Bessie originates as a diminutive form of Elizabeth, which has Hebrew roots. In Hebrew, Elizabeth means 'God is my oath.' The name Bessie also has associations in English and German contexts where it is used as a familiar or affectionate variant.
At a glance
Quick stats based on the history of this name.
Lifetime rank
#233
Total births
170,860
Most popular decade
1910s
(101,973 births)
10-year trend
↓ Falling (-5 ranks)
Years in Top 100
48
First recorded year
1880
Gender usage
0.4% male
99.6% female
Stats by gender
Male
- First year
- 1881
- First year births
- 8
- First year rank
- #653
- Peak year
- 1928
- Peak year births
- 27
- Peak rank
- #1,413
- Most recent year
- 1956
- Recent year births
- 5
- Recent rank
- #3,942
Female
- First year
- 1880
- First year births
- 796
- First year rank
- #23
- Peak year
- 1916
- Peak year births
- 4,122
- Peak rank
- #56
- Most recent year
- 2024
- Recent year births
- 10
- Recent rank
- #9,521
Births over time
Number of babies given this name each year.
Rank over time
Popularity rank by year (1 = most popular).