Bess
#14,942 for girls in 2025, 5 births · Last seen for boys in 1894 at #1,074
Given to girls 99.9% of the time
- Peak · girls
- 1887 · 155 births
- Debut · girls
- 46 births
- In top 100 · girls
- neverof 146 years
- Total births · girls
- 7,171since 1880
Bess over time
Rank among girls' names. Bess has never cracked the top 100 here.
Gaps mean fewer than 5 babies received the name that year, so the SSA doesn't publish it.
Show data table
| Year | girls | boys | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| rank | births | rank | births | |
| 2025 | #14,942 | 5 | — | |
| 2024 | — | — | ||
| 2023 | — | — | ||
| 2022 | #13,592 | 6 | — | |
| 2021 | — | — | ||
| 2020 | #11,090 | 8 | — | |
| 2019 | #15,539 | 5 | — | |
| 2018 | #12,464 | 7 | — | |
| 2017 | — | — | ||
| 2016 | #14,331 | 6 | — | |
| 2015 | #14,482 | 6 | — | |
| 2014 | #11,931 | 8 | — | |
| 2013 | #13,150 | 7 | — | |
| 2012 | #14,962 | 6 | — | |
| 2011 | #13,347 | 7 | — | |
| 2010 | #13,448 | 7 | — | |
| 2009 | #12,429 | 8 | — | |
| 2008 | #13,832 | 7 | — | |
| 2007 | #12,676 | 8 | — | |
| 2006 | #15,152 | 6 | — | |
| 2005 | #6,528 | 18 | — | |
| 2004 | #16,099 | 5 | — | |
| 2003 | #8,505 | 12 | — | |
| 2002 | #7,444 | 14 | — | |
| 2001 | #9,351 | 10 | — | |
| 2000 | #9,874 | 9 | — | |
| 1999 | #8,223 | 11 | — | |
| 1998 | #10,122 | 8 | — | |
| 1997 | #6,483 | 14 | — | |
| 1996 | #6,392 | 14 | — | |
| 1995 | #7,514 | 11 | — | |
| 1994 | #7,604 | 11 | — | |
| 1993 | #6,264 | 14 | — | |
| 1992 | #5,718 | 16 | — | |
| 1991 | #6,976 | 12 | — | |
| 1990 | #5,549 | 16 | — | |
| 1989 | #4,522 | 20 | — | |
| 1988 | #3,393 | 28 | — | |
| 1987 | #3,169 | 29 | — | |
| 1986 | #3,135 | 29 | — | |
| 1985 | #3,246 | 27 | — | |
| 1984 | #2,470 | 38 | — | |
| 1983 | #3,065 | 27 | — | |
| 1982 | #3,017 | 29 | — | |
| 1981 | #2,488 | 38 | — | |
| 1980 | #3,069 | 28 | — | |
| 1979 | #3,236 | 25 | — | |
| 1978 | #2,572 | 33 | — | |
| 1977 | #3,002 | 26 | — | |
| 1976 | #3,188 | 22 | — | |
| 1975 | #5,161 | 11 | — | |
| 1974 | #4,227 | 14 | — | |
| 1973 | #3,233 | 20 | — | |
| 1972 | #3,894 | 15 | — | |
| 1971 | #3,508 | 18 | — | |
| 1970 | #3,311 | 19 | — | |
| 1969 | #3,012 | 20 | — | |
| 1968 | #5,147 | 8 | — | |
| 1967 | #3,340 | 15 | — | |
| 1966 | #2,839 | 19 | — | |
| 1965 | #2,833 | 19 | — | |
| 1964 | #2,915 | 19 | — | |
| 1963 | #2,364 | 26 | — | |
| 1962 | #1,989 | 34 | — | |
| 1961 | #2,036 | 33 | — | |
| 1960 | #2,307 | 26 | — | |
| 1959 | #2,234 | 26 | — | |
| 1958 | #1,872 | 34 | — | |
| 1957 | #2,067 | 28 | — | |
| 1956 | #2,058 | 28 | — | |
| 1955 | #2,280 | 23 | — | |
| 1954 | #1,769 | 34 | — | |
| 1953 | #2,173 | 23 | — | |
| 1952 | #1,820 | 30 | — | |
| 1951 | #2,577 | 16 | — | |
| 1950 | #2,652 | 15 | — | |
| 1949 | #2,212 | 20 | — | |
| 1948 | #1,576 | 35 | — | |
| 1947 | #2,146 | 21 | — | |
| 1946 | #1,860 | 24 | — | |
| 1945 | #1,825 | 21 | — | |
| 1944 | #1,661 | 25 | — | |
| 1943 | #1,467 | 32 | — | |
| 1942 | #1,438 | 32 | — | |
| 1941 | #1,384 | 31 | — | |
| 1940 | #1,404 | 29 | — | |
| 1939 | #1,424 | 27 | — | |
| 1938 | #1,596 | 23 | — | |
| 1937 | #1,845 | 18 | — | |
| 1936 | #1,691 | 20 | — | |
| 1935 | #1,917 | 17 | — | |
| 1934 | #1,440 | 26 | — | |
| 1933 | #1,364 | 28 | — | |
| 1932 | #1,382 | 29 | — | |
| 1931 | #1,421 | 27 | — | |
| 1930 | #1,251 | 36 | — | |
| 1929 | #1,306 | 33 | — | |
| 1928 | #1,338 | 33 | — | |
| 1927 | #1,000 | 58 | — | |
| 1926 | #1,004 | 55 | — | |
| 1925 | #932 | 64 | — | |
| 1924 | #829 | 81 | — | |
| 1923 | #811 | 81 | — | |
| 1922 | #852 | 74 | — | |
| 1921 | #797 | 84 | — | |
| 1920 | #797 | 82 | — | |
| 1919 | #704 | 99 | — | |
| 1918 | #711 | 103 | — | |
| 1917 | #670 | 103 | — | |
| 1916 | #586 | 131 | — | |
| 1915 | #589 | 122 | — | |
| 1914 | #590 | 93 | — | |
| 1913 | #457 | 119 | — | |
| 1912 | #414 | 125 | — | |
| 1911 | #421 | 93 | — | |
| 1910 | #421 | 88 | — | |
| 1909 | #381 | 95 | — | |
| 1908 | #375 | 91 | — | |
| 1907 | #343 | 103 | — | |
| 1906 | #332 | 101 | — | |
| 1905 | #362 | 87 | — | |
| 1904 | #336 | 96 | — | |
| 1903 | #293 | 112 | — | |
| 1902 | #309 | 104 | — | |
| 1901 | #289 | 107 | — | |
| 1900 | #280 | 134 | — | |
| 1899 | #255 | 123 | — | |
| 1898 | #239 | 151 | — | |
| 1897 | #243 | 137 | — | |
| 1896 | #224 | 151 | — | |
| 1895 | #224 | 150 | — | |
| 1894 | #197 | 177 | #1,074 | 5 |
| 1893 | #197 | 169 | — | |
| 1892 | #190 | 177 | — | |
| 1891 | #199 | 137 | — | |
| 1890 | #190 | 154 | — | |
| 1889 | #164 | 182 | — | |
| 1888 | #176 | 164 | — | |
| 1887 | #157 | 155 | — | |
| 1886 | #180 | 128 | — | |
| 1885 | #191 | 97 | — | |
| 1884 | #170 | 105 | — | |
| 1883 | #170 | 94 | — | |
| 1882 | #180 | 76 | — | |
| 1881 | #208 | 52 | — | |
| 1880 | #227 | 46 | — | |
In the first year the SSA published name data, Bess was already there! It came in at #227, and was given to 46 baby girls.
Quietest stretch: 2017, when fewer than 5 girls a year got the name.
Where Bess is popular in 1927
- Rank in state
- Top 10
- 11–50
- 51–100
- 101–500
- 501+
- Not published
Hover or tap a state for its numbers.
- Pennsylvania#468 · 1 in 9,189
- Illinois#531 · 1 in 8,444
- New York#657 · 1 in 16,799
- Texas#786 · 1 in 8,654
Best ever in a state: #196 in Missouri, 1911.
Show every state
| State | Rank | Births | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pennsylvania | #468 | 10 | 1 in 9,189 |
| Illinois | #531 | 7 | 1 in 8,444 |
| New York | #657 | 6 | 1 in 16,799 |
| Texas | #786 | 7 | 1 in 8,654 |
| Alabama | — | — | — |
| Alaska | — | — | — |
| Arizona | — | — | — |
| Arkansas | — | — | — |
| California | — | — | — |
| Colorado | — | — | — |
| Connecticut | — | — | — |
| Delaware | — | — | — |
| District of Columbia | — | — | — |
| Florida | — | — | — |
| Georgia | — | — | — |
| Hawaii | — | — | — |
| Idaho | — | — | — |
| Indiana | — | — | — |
| Iowa | — | — | — |
| Kansas | — | — | — |
| Kentucky | — | — | — |
| Louisiana | — | — | — |
| Maine | — | — | — |
| Maryland | — | — | — |
| Massachusetts | — | — | — |
| Michigan | — | — | — |
| Minnesota | — | — | — |
| Mississippi | — | — | — |
| Missouri | — | — | — |
| Montana | — | — | — |
| Nebraska | — | — | — |
| Nevada | — | — | — |
| New Hampshire | — | — | — |
| New Jersey | — | — | — |
| New Mexico | — | — | — |
| North Carolina | — | — | — |
| North Dakota | — | — | — |
| Ohio | — | — | — |
| Oklahoma | — | — | — |
| Oregon | — | — | — |
| Rhode Island | — | — | — |
| South Carolina | — | — | — |
| South Dakota | — | — | — |
| Tennessee | — | — | — |
| Utah | — | — | — |
| Vermont | — | — | — |
| Virginia | — | — | — |
| Washington | — | — | — |
| West Virginia | — | — | — |
| Wisconsin | — | — | — |
| Wyoming | — | — | — |
Ranks are within each state; “1 in N” is out of the girls born there that year. The SSA only publishes a name in a state when 5 or more babies of one sex got it.
See more about Bess
- 3,852 spots since 2020 (#11,090 → #14,942)
- 460 spots since 2015 (#14,482 → #14,942)
- Biggest jump: 41 spots in 1923 (#852 → #811)
- Biggest drop: 338 spots in 1928 (#1,000 → #1,338)
- Debuted 1880
- Peaked 1887 at #157 (155 births)
- Births halved by 1922, 35 yrs later
- Top 10: never
- Top 100: never
- Top 1,000: 47 yrs · run 1880–1925
- Highest: 1 in 942 girls born in 1887 were named Bess (0.11%)
- Latest: 1 in 321,453 girls born in 2025 (0.00%)
- 21.3% of all girls named Bess (1,526) were born in this decade
Show by decade
| Decade | Births | Best rank | Avg rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1880s | 1,099 | #157 (1887) | #182 |
| 1890s | 1,526 | #190 (1892) | #216 |
| 1900s | 1,030 | #280 (1900) | #330 |
| 1910s | 1,076 | #414 (1912) | #556 |
| 1920s | 645 | #797 (1921) | #967 |
| 1930s | 251 | #1,251 (1930) | #1,533 |
| 1940s | 270 | #1,384 (1941) | #1,697 |
| 1950s | 257 | #1,769 (1954) | #2,150 |
| 1960s | 219 | #1,989 (1962) | #2,878 |
| 1970s | 203 | #2,572 (1978) | #3,533 |
| 1980s | 293 | #2,470 (1984) | #3,157 |
| 1990s | 127 | #5,549 (1990) | #7,085 |
| 2000s | 97 | #6,528 (2005) | #11,189 |
| 2010s | 59 | #11,931 (2014) | #13,739 |
| 2020s | 19 | #11,090 (2020) | #13,208 |
All figures count published births only (names given to at least 5 girls in a year). Registrations before 1937 are incomplete, so early shares and totals run low.
Bess in 1927
Top girls' names in 1927
More about 1927
girls
1,192,431 girls got a published name in 1927; 1 in 20,559 of them was named Bess, which outranked 82.1% of the 5,602 girls' names that year. The ten most popular names covered 22.4% of girls (24.6% in 1880, 7.0% in 2025).
- #990Ralph59
- #990Vallie59
- #990Zita59
- #1,000Bess58
- #1,000Buelah58
- #1,000Cherry58
- #1,000Coleen58
- #1,010Carl57
- #1,010Fred57
- #1,010Hildegard57
Tied with 9 names at #1,000; 3 shown. Tied names share a rank, as in SSA's lists.
Among names in the top 1,000 of either year.