Girl · #3,564 in 2026

Besse

Name: Popularity of the name Besse in U.S. births, 1880–2026
Creator: U.S. Social Security Administration
License: https://www.ssa.gov/foia/
Keywords: Besse, baby name, popularity, U.S., SSA, rankings

Current Rank

#3,564

Peak Rank

#388 (1889)

Total Babies

671

5-Yr Trend

Stable

1880

First Year

1926

Last Year

1889

Peak Year

#388

Peak Rank

671

Total Count

Years Active

The Story of Besse

Besse first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby girl name in 1880, with 10 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1889, when 39 Besses were born — ranking #388 that year. As of 2026, Besse ranks #3,564 for baby girls with 8 births, with steady use. In total, more than 671 Besses have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1880s through the 2020s.

Popularity Over Time

Popularity by State

Top 10

11-50

51-100

101-500

500+

No data

Names that sound like Besse

Phonetically similar names — useful when Besse is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.

Bess
Bus
Buss
Bas
Bis
Biss
Bous
Busse
Buice
Byss
Buhs
Bisse

Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.

Frequently Asked Questions about Besse

What does the name Besse mean?

Besse is a girl's name that has been used in U.S. records since 1880. Behind the Name doesn't list a specific etymology, but the name has remained in use across multiple decades.

How popular is Besse in 2026?

In 2026, Besse ranks #3,564 among girls' names in the U.S., with 8 babies given the name that year.

When was Besse most popular?

Besse reached its peak popularity in 1889, ranking #388 that year with 39 babies given the name.

Is Besse a unisex name?

In U.S. Social Security records, Besse is primarily a girl's name. We don't have meaningful data for it as a boy's name.

What names go well with Besse?

Names that share a similar style or popularity range with Besse include Mylah, Litzy, Mellie. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data.

About the name Besse

Besse is a girl baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1880 and has accumulated 671 births in the dataset. Besse's peak popularity came in 1889 when it ranked #388. Use the chart and map above to compare Besse's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.

Continue exploring

Data sources

Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. Social Security Administration . Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships.
Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — Behind the Name (used under their public API terms).
Meaning prose and editorial summary — Wikipedia article extracts, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 .
Predicted nationality distribution — Nationalize.io .
Phonetically similar names — Datamuse .

Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides.