Bess
Meaning: “my God is an oath”
About the name Bess
Bess is a girl name with Biblical Hebrew roots, meaning “my God is an oath”. It is related to Elizabeth, which is where the meaning comes from.
It has a unique, short & sweet feel. In 2025, Bess ranked #15307 for girls in the US, with 5 babies given the name. Its peak year since 1940 was 1981. Since 2000, 100% of US babies named Bess were girls.
Etymology
A diminutive of Elizabeth, which comes from Biblical Hebrew, meaning “my God is an oath”.
Name meaning adapted from Wiktionary (“Bess”, “Elizabeth”) by Wiktionary contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- US rank 2025
- #15307
- In 2015
- #14797
- Babies in 2025
- 5
Popularity of Bess, 1940–2025
Latest SSA data: 2025.
Popularity data: U.S. Social Security Administration national baby names (public domain; names given to at least 5 babies of one sex per year).
Nicknames for Bess
Bess is already short and sweet, so it doesn't usually get a nickname.
Names similar to Bess
Name meanings marked or linked “Wiktionary” are adapted from Wiktionary by Wiktionary contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; each name page links its source entry.