How old is someone named Bessie?
The average Bessie is 74 years old.
Half of all living Bessies are between 67 and 85.
When was Bessie popular?
Bessie peaked in 1916 and has been given less and less ever since. Only 16 babies got the name in 2025.
Popular names of 1916 · The most popular names of the 1910s →
Show the numbers by decade
| Born in | Babies born | Alive today |
|---|---|---|
| 1900s | 24,077 | 0 |
| 1910s | 33,991 | 0 |
| 1920s | 32,347 | 510 |
| 1930s | 18,182 | 3,600 |
| 1940s | 11,101 | 6,100 |
| 1950s | 5,947 | 4,600 |
| 1960s | 2,592 | 2,300 |
| 1970s | 1,207 | 1,100 |
| 1980s | 749 | 720 |
| 1990s | 386 | 380 |
| 2000s | 180 | 180 |
| 2010s | 109 | 110 |
| 2020s | 87 | under 100 |
How many Bessies are still alive?
About 20,000 Bessies are alive in the US today. That's 12% of the roughly 170,000 babies named Bessie since 1880.
Most Bessies ever born have died: the name was most popular in 1916, long enough ago that many of those babies are gone.
What generation is the name Bessie?
About two in five living Bessies are Baby Boomers, born between 1946 and 1964.
Is Bessie an old name?
Yes. Bessie is older than 99 in 100 names on AgeByName.
Is Bessie a boy or girl name?
Almost entirely girls: 99.8% of living Bessies are women.
Names the same age as Bessie
NAME TWIN
Bessie's name twin is Thelma. Of all 3,713 names on AgeByName, Thelma's age curve is the closest match to Bessie's: 96% alike.
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Questions about the name Bessie
How old is the average Bessie?
The average Bessie in the US is 74 years old. The median is 77, so half are older and half younger.
How many people are named Bessie?
About 20,000 Bessies are alive in the US today, out of roughly 170,000 babies given the name since 1880.
When was the name Bessie most popular?
In 1916, when about 4,100 baby girls were named Bessie.
Is Bessie a Boomer name?
Partly. Baby Boomers are the largest group, about 44% of living Bessies, but the name spans several generations.
Estimates from Social Security Administration baby-name records (births 1880–2025) and SSA cohort life tables (2026 Trustees Report). Updated each spring. How we calculate this