Find out how popular the last name Bess is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Bess.

Bess, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Bess surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Bess in America

Bess is the 3677th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Bess surname appeared 9,663 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 3 people would have the surname Bess.

We can also compare 2010 data for Bess to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Bess

The surname Bess originated in England during the medieval period. It is believed to have derived from the Old French word "bessee," which means "embraced" or "kissed." This name may have been given to someone who was particularly affectionate or fond of embracing others.

Bess was initially a nickname or descriptive name that later became a hereditary surname. One of the earliest recorded instances of the name appears in the Hundred Rolls of Bedfordshire from 1273, where it was spelled as "Besse."

In the 14th century, the name Bess was found in various records, including the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire from 1327, which listed a John Besse. The Lay Subsidy Rolls of Cambridgeshire from 1327 also mentioned a William Besse.

The Bess surname was also present in historical documents such as the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire from 1379, which recorded a Robert Besse. Additionally, the Poll Tax records of Yorkshire from 1379 listed a John Besse.

One notable individual with the surname Bess was William Bess (1554-1611), an English composer and organist who served at the Chapel Royal during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I.

Another prominent figure was Sir John Bess (1615-1674), an English politician who served as a Member of Parliament for Gloucestershire during the English Civil War.

In the 18th century, a noteworthy individual with the surname Bess was Robert Bess (1710-1784), a British naval officer who served in the Royal Navy and participated in several battles during the Seven Years' War.

The name Bess has also been associated with various place names in England, such as Bess Park in Gloucestershire and Bess Wood in Worcestershire. These place names may have influenced the spelling and distribution of the surname over time.

Other individuals who bore the surname Bess include Edward Bess (1790-1854), an English landscape painter known for his depictions of rural scenes, and William Bess (1825-1901), a British engineer and inventor who developed improvements in steam engine technology.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Bess

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Bess.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Bess was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Bess has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Bess was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Bess, please contact us.

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