Is Bess a boy or girl name?
Bess was a girl name in the US. Across 1880–2024, 99.9% of the 7,171 US babies named Bess were girls. Fewer than 10 babies were given the name in 2024.
- Boy rank, 2024
- Not ranked
- Girl rank, 2024
- Not ranked
- Babies named Bess since 1880
- 7,171
- Most popular year
- 1889
- 182 babies
Boys and girls named Bess, by decade
| Decade | Boys | Girls | Share girls |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1880s | 0 | 1,099 | 100% |
| 1890s | 5 | 1,526 | 99.7% |
| 1900s | 0 | 1,030 | 100% |
| 1910s | 0 | 1,076 | 100% |
| 1920s | 0 | 645 | 100% |
| 1930s | 0 | 251 | 100% |
| 1940s | 0 | 270 | 100% |
| 1950s | 0 | 257 | 100% |
| 1960s | 0 | 219 | 100% |
| 1970s | 0 | 203 | 100% |
| 1980s | 0 | 293 | 100% |
| 1990s | 0 | 127 | 100% |
| 2000s | 0 | 97 | 100% |
| 2010s | 0 | 59 | 100% |
| 2020s | 0 | 14 | 100% |
Every year
| Year | Boys | Boy rank | Girls | Girl rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 0 | – | 0 | – |
| 2023 | 0 | – | 0 | – |
| 2022 | 0 | – | 6 | #13,858 |
| 2021 | 0 | – | 0 | – |
| 2020 | 0 | – | 8 | #11,255 |
| 2019 | 0 | – | 5 | #15,908 |
| 2018 | 0 | – | 7 | #12,697 |
| 2017 | 0 | – | 0 | – |
| 2016 | 0 | – | 6 | #14,621 |
| 2015 | 0 | – | 6 | #14,794 |
| 2014 | 0 | – | 8 | #12,122 |
| 2013 | 0 | – | 7 | #13,400 |
| 2012 | 0 | – | 6 | #15,266 |
| 2011 | 0 | – | 7 | #13,585 |
| 2010 | 0 | – | 7 | #13,686 |
| 2009 | 0 | – | 8 | #12,619 |
| 2008 | 0 | – | 7 | #14,070 |
| 2007 | 0 | – | 8 | #12,855 |
| 2006 | 0 | – | 6 | #15,428 |
| 2005 | 0 | – | 18 | #6,572 |
| 2004 | 0 | – | 5 | #16,474 |
| 2003 | 0 | – | 12 | #8,595 |
| 2002 | 0 | – | 14 | #7,492 |
| 2001 | 0 | – | 10 | #9,462 |
| 2000 | 0 | – | 9 | #10,008 |
| 1999 | 0 | – | 11 | #8,304 |
| 1998 | 0 | – | 8 | #10,251 |
| 1997 | 0 | – | 14 | #6,533 |
| 1996 | 0 | – | 14 | #6,443 |
| 1995 | 0 | – | 11 | #7,576 |
| 1994 | 0 | – | 11 | #7,666 |
| 1993 | 0 | – | 14 | #6,306 |
| 1992 | 0 | – | 16 | #5,752 |
| 1991 | 0 | – | 12 | #7,014 |
| 1990 | 0 | – | 16 | #5,586 |
| 1989 | 0 | – | 20 | #4,534 |
| 1988 | 0 | – | 28 | #3,400 |
| 1987 | 0 | – | 29 | #3,178 |
| 1986 | 0 | – | 29 | #3,140 |
| 1985 | 0 | – | 27 | #3,255 |
| 1984 | 0 | – | 38 | #2,475 |
| 1983 | 0 | – | 27 | #3,072 |
| 1982 | 0 | – | 29 | #3,021 |
| 1981 | 0 | – | 38 | #2,493 |
| 1980 | 0 | – | 28 | #3,075 |
| 1979 | 0 | – | 25 | #3,251 |
| 1978 | 0 | – | 33 | #2,577 |
| 1977 | 0 | – | 26 | #3,008 |
| 1976 | 0 | – | 22 | #3,196 |
| 1975 | 0 | – | 11 | #5,189 |
| 1974 | 0 | – | 14 | #4,244 |
| 1973 | 0 | – | 20 | #3,241 |
| 1972 | 0 | – | 15 | #3,910 |
| 1971 | 0 | – | 18 | #3,516 |
| 1970 | 0 | – | 19 | #3,319 |
| 1969 | 0 | – | 20 | #3,018 |
| 1968 | 0 | – | 8 | #5,179 |
| 1967 | 0 | – | 15 | #3,356 |
| 1966 | 0 | – | 19 | #2,852 |
| 1965 | 0 | – | 19 | #2,843 |
| 1964 | 0 | – | 19 | #2,923 |
| 1963 | 0 | – | 26 | #2,373 |
| 1962 | 0 | – | 34 | #1,993 |
| 1961 | 0 | – | 33 | #2,039 |
| 1960 | 0 | – | 26 | #2,315 |
| 1959 | 0 | – | 26 | #2,237 |
| 1958 | 0 | – | 34 | #1,877 |
| 1957 | 0 | – | 28 | #2,071 |
| 1956 | 0 | – | 28 | #2,059 |
| 1955 | 0 | – | 23 | #2,282 |
| 1954 | 0 | – | 34 | #1,772 |
| 1953 | 0 | – | 23 | #2,177 |
| 1952 | 0 | – | 30 | #1,824 |
| 1951 | 0 | – | 16 | #2,585 |
| 1950 | 0 | – | 15 | #2,670 |
| 1949 | 0 | – | 20 | #2,217 |
| 1948 | 0 | – | 35 | #1,576 |
| 1947 | 0 | – | 21 | #2,153 |
| 1946 | 0 | – | 24 | #1,865 |
| 1945 | 0 | – | 21 | #1,831 |
| 1944 | 0 | – | 25 | #1,668 |
| 1943 | 0 | – | 32 | #1,471 |
| 1942 | 0 | – | 32 | #1,444 |
| 1941 | 0 | – | 31 | #1,385 |
| 1940 | 0 | – | 29 | #1,409 |
| 1939 | 0 | – | 27 | #1,429 |
| 1938 | 0 | – | 23 | #1,602 |
| 1937 | 0 | – | 18 | #1,852 |
| 1936 | 0 | – | 20 | #1,696 |
| 1935 | 0 | – | 17 | #1,930 |
| 1934 | 0 | – | 26 | #1,443 |
| 1933 | 0 | – | 28 | #1,370 |
| 1932 | 0 | – | 29 | #1,387 |
| 1931 | 0 | – | 27 | #1,424 |
| 1930 | 0 | – | 36 | #1,253 |
| 1929 | 0 | – | 33 | #1,312 |
| 1928 | 0 | – | 33 | #1,342 |
| 1927 | 0 | – | 58 | #1,000 |
| 1926 | 0 | – | 55 | #1,005 |
| 1925 | 0 | – | 64 | #932 |
| 1924 | 0 | – | 81 | #830 |
| 1923 | 0 | – | 81 | #812 |
| 1922 | 0 | – | 74 | #853 |
| 1921 | 0 | – | 84 | #798 |
| 1920 | 0 | – | 82 | #798 |
| 1919 | 0 | – | 99 | #704 |
| 1918 | 0 | – | 103 | #712 |
| 1917 | 0 | – | 103 | #671 |
| 1916 | 0 | – | 131 | #586 |
| 1915 | 0 | – | 122 | #589 |
| 1914 | 0 | – | 93 | #590 |
| 1913 | 0 | – | 119 | #457 |
| 1912 | 0 | – | 125 | #415 |
| 1911 | 0 | – | 93 | #421 |
| 1910 | 0 | – | 88 | #421 |
| 1909 | 0 | – | 95 | #381 |
| 1908 | 0 | – | 91 | #376 |
| 1907 | 0 | – | 103 | #343 |
| 1906 | 0 | – | 101 | #332 |
| 1905 | 0 | – | 87 | #362 |
| 1904 | 0 | – | 96 | #336 |
| 1903 | 0 | – | 112 | #293 |
| 1902 | 0 | – | 104 | #309 |
| 1901 | 0 | – | 107 | #289 |
| 1900 | 0 | – | 134 | #280 |
| 1899 | 0 | – | 123 | #255 |
| 1898 | 0 | – | 151 | #239 |
| 1897 | 0 | – | 137 | #243 |
| 1896 | 0 | – | 151 | #224 |
| 1895 | 0 | – | 150 | #224 |
| 1894 | 5 | #1,096 | 177 | #197 |
| 1893 | 0 | – | 169 | #197 |
| 1892 | 0 | – | 177 | #190 |
| 1891 | 0 | – | 137 | #199 |
| 1890 | 0 | – | 154 | #190 |
| 1889 | 0 | – | 182 | #164 |
| 1888 | 0 | – | 164 | #176 |
| 1887 | 0 | – | 155 | #157 |
| 1886 | 0 | – | 128 | #180 |
| 1885 | 0 | – | 97 | #192 |
| 1884 | 0 | – | 105 | #170 |
| 1883 | 0 | – | 94 | #170 |
| 1882 | 0 | – | 76 | #180 |
| 1881 | 0 | – | 52 | #208 |
| 1880 | 0 | – | 46 | #227 |
Highest rank
As a boy name, Bess reached #1,096 in 1894. As a girl name, it reached #157 in 1887. Ranks count every name SSA published for that year and sex, so they go well past the top 1,000.
Names from the same era
These names were also most popular in the 1880s, with a similar number of babies. They can work as sibling or middle names that feel like they belong together.
Names spelled like Bess
Source: US Social Security Administration baby name data, 1880–2024. Counts are Social Security card applications for US births; SSA leaves out names given to fewer than 5 babies in a year. Updated 2026-10-05. How these numbers are made.