Girls' name · since 1903

Bessye

Bessye has 105 recorded births since 1903 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 1916 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.

#26,554 of 72,339
all-time among girls
105
born since 1903
1910s
peak decade

Bessye is not among the current top-ranked girls names; 105 have been recorded since 1903.

Social Security Administration records show Bessye recorded 105 times among girls since 1903, though it doesn't currently rank among the most-used girls names, peaking in the 1910s. This profile derives year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1903 to 1946.

  • #26,554 of 72,339 all-time among girls
  • 105 born since 1903
  • 1910s peak decade

Data updated Aug 2026

The verdict

According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Bessye ranks #26,554 of 72,339 girls' names by all-time recorded births (highest first). 105 born since 1903, peaking in the 1910s.

#26,554 of 72,339
all-time among girls
105
born since 1903
1910s
peak decade
Below the archive median
All-time archive position

Bessye's 105 recorded births place it above 63.16% of the 72,339 girls names in the full SSA archive.

National only
State-record footprint

No state rows cleared SSA’s public reporting threshold for this name.

Bessye's usage pattern, beyond the headline number

Splitting Bessye's full recorded timeline at 1919, 49% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 51% in the earlier half -- a fairly even split across the full record. Its quietest year on record was 1903, with just 5 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 1916 peak of 13 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.

Bessye popularity over time

Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1903–1946

Last recorded 1946
Peak year (1916)
13
Annual births at peak, across 44 years of records
468101214 190319131915191719191928193019381946 5

Bessye by decade

1910s is the heaviest window (54 births, 51% of the file).

1910s was Bessye's strongest decade.

54 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 51% of all-time use.

Bessye births by decade

Total births in each ten-year window

births

What this shows Peak: 1910s at 54 births (51% of all-time use).

Source U.S. Social Security Administration · Baby Names As of August 2026

Frequently Asked Questions

How popular is the name Bessye? ▼
Since 1903, Social Security records show 105 babies named Bessye. Across the full SSA archive it ranks #26,554 of 72,339 girls' names by total births. The most recent recorded year was 1946. Its busiest year on record was 1916, with 13 births.
Where does Bessye sit in the SSA name archive? ▼
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Bessye ranks #26,554 of 72,339 girls' names by all-time recorded births (highest first). All-time ordinal matches browse popularity (total births DESC); the current ordinal uses the null SSA file. See /methodology#corpus-placement.
When was Bessye most popular? ▼
Bessye was most popular in the 1910s decade with 54 total births. The single peak year was 1916.
How long has the name Bessye been used? ▼
The SSA has tracked Bessye since 1903 -- 44 years through the most recent 1946 data.
What names are similar to Bessye? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Bessie, Bess, Besse, Bessy, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for girls.

What to do with Bessye's data

  • Bessye's decade-level peak was the 1910s (54 total births); usage has since declined to 5 in the 1940s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.

Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.

Keep exploring Bessye

Nearby Names Like Bessye

Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Bessye

Bessie Girl
#6838 170,140 births
Bess Girl
#14944 7,171 births
Besse Girl
671 births
Bessy Girl
#15049 334 births
Besan Girl
#10653 125 births

Compare Bessye side by side: Bessye vs Bessie Bessye vs Bess Bessye vs Besse

Or pick any two names to compare →

Related Names

Names with a similar number of total births

Ulla #10974
105 births · Peak 2025
Clotile
105 births · Peak 1919
Glessie
105 births · Peak 1916
Wladyslawa
105 births · Peak 1919
Elwyn #15033
105 births · Peak 1917
Alleta
105 births · Peak 1917
Murdis
105 births · Peak 1934
Lilias #15054
105 births · Peak 1922

Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span

Two nationwide peer axes for Bessye: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.

Peak year is the single SSA year with the most births for that name; record span is first-to-latest year in the national files, not a recommendation or shared origin claim.

Data Sources

Data as of August 2026. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA).

According to the Social Security Administration, this profile draws directly from the agency's public-use baby-name files (updated June 2026). See our methodology for the full extraction, aggregation, and privacy-suppression rules.

Primary: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names from Social Security Card Applications, National Data, 1903–1946 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).

State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).

Name Almanac is rendered directly from the Social Security Administration's public baby-name files, no number is typed in by an editor. This profile for Bessye draws directly on SSA national and state-level files, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of August 2026.