Bessie was a hugely popular girls' name that peaked at #9 in 1889 but is far less common today.
Bessie is predominantly a girl name. In 2025 it ranked #6,889 for girl births in the United States (and #11,913 across all names), given to 16 babies. Bessie first appears in 1880 and peaked in 1916 (4,122 births).
| Year | U.S. births | U.S. + territories | ♀ Rank | ♂ Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 16 | 16 | #6,889 | — |
| 2024 | 10 | 10 | #9,666 | — |
| 2023 | 15 | 15 | #7,308 | — |
| 2022 | 13 | 13 | #8,113 | — |
| 2021 | 17 | 17 | #6,735 | — |
| 2020 | 16 | 16 | #6,974 | — |
| 2019 | 11 | 11 | #9,220 | — |
| 2018 | 9 | 9 | #10,700 | — |
| 2017 | 12 | 12 | #8,883 | — |
| 2016 | 8 | 8 | #11,963 | — |
| 2015 | 11 | 11 | #9,581 | — |
| 2014 | 11 | 11 | #9,635 | — |
| 2013 | 17 | 17 | #7,102 | — |
| 2012 | 13 | 13 | #8,706 | — |
| 2011 | 9 | 9 | #11,318 | — |
| 2010 | 8 | 8 | #12,456 | — |
| 2009 | 9 | 9 | #11,604 | — |
| 2008 | 15 | 15 | #8,185 | — |
| 2007 | 15 | 15 | #8,161 | — |
| 2006 | 19 | 19 | #6,626 | — |
| 2005 | 15 | 15 | #7,565 | — |
| 2004 | 7 | 7 | #12,960 | — |
| 2003 | 15 | 15 | #7,262 | — |
| 2002 | 28 | 28 | #4,397 | — |
| 2001 | 26 | 26 | #4,580 | — |
| 2000 | 31 | 31 | #3,995 | — |
| 1999 | 21 | 21 | #5,060 | — |
| 1998 | 27 | 27 | #4,152 | — |
| 1997 | 32 | — | #3,557 | — |
| 1996 | 30 | — | #3,638 | — |
| 1995 | 26 | — | #3,987 | — |
| 1994 | 37 | — | #3,108 | — |
| 1993 | 24 | — | #4,274 | — |
| 1992 | 51 | — | #2,490 | — |
| 1991 | 65 | — | #2,076 | — |
| 1990 | 73 | — | #1,907 | — |
| 1989 | 60 | — | #2,075 | — |
| 1988 | 53 | — | #2,154 | — |
| 1987 | 59 | — | #1,920 | — |
| 1986 | 66 | — | #1,751 | — |
| 1985 | 85 | — | #1,461 | — |
| 1984 | 68 | — | #1,616 | — |
| 1983 | 67 | — | #1,647 | — |
| 1982 | 89 | — | #1,375 | — |
| 1981 | 103 | — | #1,254 | — |
| 1980 | 99 | — | #1,288 | — |
| 1979 | 102 | — | #1,251 | — |
| 1978 | 91 | — | #1,314 | — |
| 1977 | 92 | — | #1,283 | — |
| 1976 | 106 | — | #1,122 | — |
| 1975 | 131 | — | #957 | — |
| 1974 | 116 | — | #1,033 | — |
| 1973 | 120 | — | #990 | — |
| 1972 | 149 | — | #863 | — |
| 1971 | 140 | — | #927 | — |
| 1970 | 160 | — | #844 | — |
| 1969 | 156 | — | #823 | — |
| 1968 | 159 | — | #794 | — |
| 1967 | 186 | — | #717 | — |
| 1966 | 202 | — | #686 | — |
| 1965 | 273 | — | #579 | — |
| 1964 | 290 | — | #581 | — |
| 1963 | 293 | — | #574 | — |
| 1962 | 330 | — | #536 | — |
| 1961 | 318 | — | #557 | — |
| 1960 | 385 | — | #493 | — |
| 1959 | 396 | — | #486 | — |
| 1958 | 443 | — | #451 | — |
| 1957 | 465 | — | #435 | — |
| 1956 | 523 | — | #396 | #3,998 |
| 1955 | 533 | — | #381 | — |
| 1954 | 652 | — | #331 | — |
| 1953 | 650 | — | #322 | — |
| 1952 | 729 | — | #297 | — |
| 1951 | 762 | — | #284 | — |
| 1950 | 794 | — | #270 | — |
| 1949 | 953 | — | #241 | #3,049 |
| 1948 | 1,003 | — | #236 | #3,726 |
| 1947 | 1,012 | — | #233 | — |
| 1946 | 1,027 | — | #225 | #3,571 |
| 1945 | 1,075 | — | #190 | — |
| 1944 | 1,122 | — | #189 | — |
| 1943 | 1,148 | — | #190 | — |
| 1942 | 1,272 | — | #176 | #3,251 |
| 1941 | 1,186 | — | #173 | #2,345 |
| 1940 | 1,303 | — | #162 | #3,163 |
| 1939 | 1,372 | — | #158 | #2,174 |
| 1938 | 1,435 | — | #155 | #1,749 |
| 1937 | 1,559 | — | #143 | #2,503 |
| 1936 | 1,657 | — | #136 | #2,072 |
| 1935 | 1,776 | — | #129 | #1,545 |
| 1934 | 1,844 | — | #128 | #2,137 |
| 1933 | 1,898 | — | #117 | #1,715 |
| 1932 | 2,103 | — | #117 | #2,479 |
| 1931 | 2,133 | — | #113 | #1,778 |
| 1930 | 2,405 | — | #108 | #1,536 |
| 1929 | 2,400 | — | #107 | #1,677 |
| 1928 | 2,688 | — | #101 | #1,419 |
| 1927 | 2,991 | — | #88 | #2,049 |
| 1926 | 3,080 | — | #89 | #1,435 |
| 1925 | 3,280 | — | #87 | #2,206 |
| 1924 | 3,425 | — | #86 | #1,729 |
| 1923 | 3,401 | — | #81 | #2,240 |
| 1922 | 3,472 | — | #81 | #1,508 |
| 1921 | 3,690 | — | #75 | #2,511 |
| 1920 | 3,920 | — | #71 | #2,234 |
| 1919 | 4,118 | — | #59 | #2,396 |
| 1918 | 4,117 | — | #61 | #2,007 |
| 1917 | 3,943 | — | #61 | #1,909 |
| 1916 | 4,132 | — | #56 | #2,565 |
| 1915 | 3,903 | — | #57 | #1,887 |
| 1914 | 3,272 | — | #55 | #1,881 |
| 1913 | 2,966 | — | #47 | #1,450 |
| 1912 | 2,848 | — | #43 | #1,184 |
| 1911 | 2,288 | — | #40 | #1,201 |
| 1910 | 2,404 | — | #37 | #936 |
| 1909 | 2,288 | — | #35 | #846 |
| 1908 | 2,206 | — | #34 | #1,393 |
| 1907 | 2,322 | — | #30 | #822 |
| 1906 | 2,403 | — | #21 | #1,017 |
| 1905 | 2,455 | — | #20 | #844 |
| 1904 | 2,345 | — | #21 | #1,225 |
| 1903 | 2,354 | — | #21 | #580 |
| 1902 | 2,455 | — | #19 | #943 |
| 1901 | 2,194 | — | #21 | #638 |
| 1900 | 3,055 | — | #15 | #790 |
| 1899 | 2,280 | — | #19 | — |
| 1898 | 2,653 | — | #16 | #1,020 |
| 1897 | 2,413 | — | #17 | #951 |
| 1896 | 2,447 | — | #18 | #647 |
| 1895 | 2,549 | — | #15 | #884 |
| 1894 | 2,535 | — | #13 | #522 |
| 1893 | 2,360 | — | #15 | #775 |
| 1892 | 2,553 | — | #13 | #605 |
| 1891 | 2,331 | — | #12 | #712 |
| 1890 | 2,370 | — | #11 | — |
| 1889 | 2,350 | — | #9 | #804 |
| 1888 | 2,290 | — | #10 | #580 |
| 1887 | 1,843 | — | #13 | #943 |
| 1886 | 1,796 | — | #12 | #981 |
| 1885 | 1,595 | — | #13 | #770 |
| 1884 | 1,456 | — | #15 | #984 |
| 1883 | 1,241 | — | #18 | — |
| 1882 | 1,153 | — | #18 | #656 |
| 1881 | 911 | — | #22 | #658 |
| 1880 | 796 | — | #23 | — |