Every name given to a US baby since 1880, ranked year by year — straight from Social Security Administration birth records. 105,966 names · 375,362,447 births · public domain.

Bess

#1,983 most common girls' name of all time · #3,383 across all names · <1% male / >99% female · used 1880–2025

Rank among girls
#1,983
Rank overall
#3,383 of 105,966
First appeared
1880 or earlier
Years on the list
142 of 146
All-time
7,176
Since 2016
37
Peak year
1889 #165
Best rank
#159 1887
Girls Boys peak 182/yr
18801900192019401960198020002020

Bess is in the records from the very first year available, so it was almost certainly in use before 1880 — the data simply doesn't go back further.

Year by year

YearGirlsBoysTotalRank
2025 5 — 5 #14,944
2022 6 — 6 #13,595
2020 8 — 8 #11,091
2019 5 — 5 #15,540
2018 7 — 7 #12,467
2016 6 — 6 #14,332
2015 6 — 6 #14,484
2014 8 — 8 #11,933
2013 7 — 7 #13,151
2012 6 — 6 #14,965
2011 7 — 7 #13,349
2010 7 — 7 #13,450
2009 8 — 8 #12,430
2008 7 — 7 #13,836
2007 8 — 8 #12,678
2006 6 — 6 #15,153
2005 18 — 18 #6,528
2004 5 — 5 #16,102
2003 12 — 12 #8,507
2002 14 — 14 #7,445
2001 10 — 10 #9,354
2000 9 — 9 #9,875
1999 11 — 11 #8,224
1998 8 — 8 #10,126
1997 14 — 14 #6,485
1996 14 — 14 #6,392
1995 11 — 11 #7,517
1994 11 — 11 #7,605
1993 14 — 14 #6,268
1992 16 — 16 #5,718
1991 12 — 12 #6,978
1990 16 — 16 #5,550
1989 20 — 20 #4,524
1988 28 — 28 #3,394
1987 29 — 29 #3,172
1986 29 — 29 #3,136
1985 27 — 27 #3,247
1984 38 — 38 #2,471
1983 27 — 27 #3,065
1982 29 — 29 #3,020
1981 38 — 38 #2,490
1980 28 — 28 #3,070
1979 25 — 25 #3,237
1978 33 — 33 #2,575
1977 26 — 26 #3,003
1976 22 — 22 #3,190
1975 11 — 11 #5,162
1974 14 — 14 #4,229
1973 20 — 20 #3,234
1972 15 — 15 #3,894
1971 18 — 18 #3,508
1970 19 — 19 #3,311
1969 20 — 20 #3,013
1968 8 — 8 #5,147
1967 15 — 15 #3,341
1966 19 — 19 #2,840
1965 19 — 19 #2,834
1964 19 — 19 #2,915
1963 26 — 26 #2,366
1962 34 — 34 #1,990
1961 33 — 33 #2,037
1960 26 — 26 #2,307
1959 26 — 26 #2,234
1958 34 — 34 #1,872
1957 28 — 28 #2,067
1956 28 — 28 #2,058
1955 23 — 23 #2,280
1954 34 — 34 #1,769
1953 23 — 23 #2,173
1952 30 — 30 #1,820
1951 16 — 16 #2,577
1950 15 — 15 #2,652
1949 20 — 20 #2,212
1948 35 — 35 #1,576
1947 21 — 21 #2,146
1946 24 — 24 #1,861
1945 21 — 21 #1,826
1944 25 — 25 #1,662
1943 32 — 32 #1,467
1942 32 — 32 #1,438
1941 31 — 31 #1,385
1940 29 — 29 #1,404
1939 27 — 27 #1,424
1938 23 — 23 #1,596
1937 18 — 18 #1,845
1936 20 — 20 #1,691
1935 17 — 17 #1,917
1934 26 — 26 #1,441
1933 28 — 28 #1,364
1932 29 — 29 #1,382
1931 27 — 27 #1,421
1930 36 — 36 #1,251
1929 33 — 33 #1,306
1928 33 — 33 #1,338
1927 58 — 58 #1,000
1926 55 — 55 #1,004
1925 64 — 64 #932
1924 81 — 81 #829
1923 81 — 81 #811
1922 74 — 74 #852
1921 84 — 84 #797
1920 82 — 82 #797
1919 99 — 99 #704
1918 103 — 103 #711
1917 103 — 103 #670
1916 131 — 131 #586
1915 122 — 122 #589
1914 93 — 93 #590
1913 119 — 119 #457
1912 125 — 125 #415
1911 93 — 93 #421
1910 88 — 88 #421
1909 95 — 95 #382
1908 91 — 91 #375
1907 103 — 103 #344
1906 101 — 101 #332
1905 87 — 87 #363
1904 96 — 96 #336
1903 112 — 112 #294
1902 104 — 104 #310
1901 107 — 107 #289
1900 134 — 134 #280
1899 123 — 123 #255
1898 151 — 151 #239
1897 137 — 137 #243
1896 151 — 151 #225
1895 150 — 150 #225
1894 177 5 182 #198
1893 169 — 169 #197
1892 177 — 177 #190
1891 137 — 137 #200
1890 154 — 154 #192
1889 182 — 182 #165
1888 164 — 164 #176
1887 155 — 155 #159
1886 128 — 128 #180
1885 97 — 97 #192
1884 105 — 105 #172
1883 94 — 94 #170
1882 76 — 76 #181
1881 52 — 52 #211
1880 46 — 46 #227