Bess

Diminutive of Elizabeth

"pledged to God"

Bess Origin and Meaning

The name Bess is a girl's name meaning "pledged to God".

Although she declared her independence as far back as the reign of Elizabeth I--Good Queen Bess, Bess now sounds less passé than Beth or Betsy.

Bess Rank in US Top 1000

# 1000 in the US

Popularity of the name Bess

• 1820 Nameberry 2022

20 Names Similar to Bess

These 20 names were selected by our users that were looking for other names like Bess.

• Bessie
• Mamie
• Franny
• Wilma
• Betsy
• Gretchen
• Velma
• Grietje
• Tavie
• Joanie
• Trudie
• Peggy
• Connie
• Francie
• Nattie
• Georgienne
• Robertina
• Shirley
• Norma
• Francine

Famous People Named Bess

• Elizabeth Virginia "Bess" Truman First Lady of the U.S. as wife of President Harry Truman
• Bess Myerson Miss America 1945
• Elizabeth "Bess" Throckmorton lady,in,waiting of Queen Elizabeth I; wife to Sir Walter Raleigh
• Wilhelmina Beatrice "Bess" (Rahner) Houdini wife of escape artist Harry Houdini
• Elizabeth "Bess" of Hardwick Countess of Shrewsbury, Elizabethan English noblewoman
• Elizabeth Christiana "Bess" (Hervey) Cavendish Duchess of Devonshire, early English woman novelist
• Good Queen Bess one of Queen Elizabeth I's many titles
• Jamison Bess Belushi daughter of actor Jim Belushi

The name Bess in Pop Culture

• Bess McNeill character in film "Breaking the Waves"
• Bess Marvin character in the Nancy Drew series
• Bess character in opera "Porgy and Bess"
• Bess alternate personality of Jessica Buchanan on American soap "One Life to Live"
• Bess character in Erin Hunter's "Warriors" book series
• Bess character in the movie "Crush"
• Bess Laurence daughter of Amy in "Little Men"
• Bess "the landlord's black,eyed daughter," character in the poem "The Highwayman" by Alfred Noyes and song by Loreena McKennit