Total births
105
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.
- 105
- total births
- 1903–1946
- years on record
- 1910s
- peak decade
- 51%
- born in that 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.
- 105 total births
- 1903–1946 years on record
- 1910s peak decade
- 51% born in that decade
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
105 girls have been named Bessye since 1903, peaking in the 1910s, last recorded in 1946.
- 105
- total births
- 1903–1946
- years on record
- 1910s
- peak decade
- 51%
- born in that decade
1910s
Peak decade
51% of everyone ever named Bessye was born in this single decade.
1916
Single peak year
13 babies were named Bessye in 1916 - its busiest year on record.
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 at a glance
Last recorded 1946Peak year
1916
Current rank
Unranked
Active since
1903
Bessye popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1903–1946
- Peak year (1916)
- 13
- Annual births at peak, across 44 years of records
Bessye by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
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
- 1900s 10
1900s
10 births
- 1910s
1910s
54 births
- 1920s 18
1920s
18 births
- 1930s 18
1930s
18 births
- 1940s 5
1940s
5 births
What this shows Peak: 1910s at 54 births (51% of all-time use).
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Bessye? ▼
Since 1903, Social Security records show 105 babies named Bessye. The most recent recorded year was 1946. Its busiest year on record was 1916, with 13 births.
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.
- Weighing it against an alternative? Put two names side by side. Compare names
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
#9556 170,140 births
Bess Girl
7,171 births
Besse Girl
671 births
Bessy Girl
#13578 334 births
Besan Girl
#11824 125 births
Compare Bessye side by side: Bessye vs Bessie Bessye vs Bess Bessye vs Besse
Related Names
Names with a similar number of total births
Data Sources
Data as of June 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).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Bessye: Baby Name Since 1903 - 105 Births, Peak 1916." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/bessye. Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
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 June 2026.