The Bess surname

In the 2010 U.S. Census, 9,663 people carried this name — #3,677 among all U.S. surnames, about 1 in every 30,500 people counted. That is up 5% from 9,229 in 2000.

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In Poland’s population register

69 people named Bess have a registered home in Poland.

Of the 74 in Poland’s national register, these are the ones with a permanent address on file. They live in 2 of Poland’s 16 voivodeships, most of all in Kuyavian-Pomeranian.

Too few records to say where it concentrates region by region — these are plain counts, not shares.

Where they live today

Kuyavian-Pomeranian 61
Lesser Poland 8

PESEL register, Ministry of Digital Affairs of Poland (dane.gov.pl) — CC0 · living people by voivodeship of permanent residence, 20 January 2026.

In print

Bess in American newspapers,
1904–1921.

Newspaper page from The News & Observer carrying the name Bess
The News & Observer 1904-09-25
Newspaper page from San Antonio Light carrying the name Bess
San Antonio Light 1911-05-01
Newspaper page from The Breckenridge News carrying the name Bess
The Breckenridge News 1921-04-13

Chronicling America, Library of Congress — digitised newspapers in the public domain · 420 pages in all carry the name.

In print

Bess in Australian newspapers,
1830s–1990s.

7,793 articles name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Bess. The most, 2,243, date from the 1930s.

Articles, by state

New South Wales 2,409
Victoria 1,710
Queensland 1,534
South Australia 979
Western Australia 866
Tasmania 236
ACT (Canberra) 32
Northern Territory 6

Trove, National Library of Australia (trove.nla.gov.au) · articles in its digitised newspapers that name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Bess.

Who carried it

People named Bess,
with a public archive behind them.

  • Jane Bess 1891–1944 · screenwriter
  • Forrest Bess 1911–1977 · painter
  • Ruth Bess 1914–2015 · graphic designer
  • Ruth Bess 1914–2015 · graphic designer
  • Gene Bess 1935–2026 · basketball player

Wikidata (CC0) · 10 lives in all are documented under this name.

In the public record

People named Bess,
in the records of 6 countries.

Soldiers, farmers, migrants and neighbours who carried the name and left a trace in public archives. Everyone shown here died long ago or was born more than a century ago.

United States642 records

642 records of the Bess name in the United States
  • U.S. Army enlistment records, World War II 297
  • U.S. veterans' cemetery records, burials to 2001 118
  • Other U.S. records 227
  1. A United States Selective Service registration card, 1942
    Example: U.S. registration card, 1942
    Military record Joseph Bess

    Born 1910 in North Carolina. Enlisted 1943 at New York City; porter from Kings County, New York. U.S. Army veteran of World War II; died 1988, buried at Calverton National Cemetery, New York.

    U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain); U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0)
  2. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Friedke Bess

    Arrived at New York in 1887 aboard the Eider from Bremen and Southampton, aged 20; farmer. From Schwerin, Germany.

    U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted)
  3. Names engraved on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Washington, D.C.
    Example: U.S. war memorial
    War record William Harrison Bess

    Born 1931; from Jefferson County, Ohio. U.S. Army, heavy weapons infantryman; killed in action 1950 in South Korea.

    U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain)

Showing 3 of 642 records for Bess in the United States.

Counts: U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain) · U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0) · U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted) · NYC Department of Records & Information Services, Historical Vital Records (NYC Open Data) · U.S. National Archives, Flexoline Index Data File (public domain) · New York State Department of Health, Genealogical Research Death Index · U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: U.S. Selective Service registration card, 1942 (public domain); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain); Vietnam Veterans Memorial, photo by U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Michael J. Carden, 2009 (public domain).

Germany44 records

44 records of the Bess name in Germany Germany's First World War casualty lists, 1914–1919
  1. A page of the German First World War casualty lists, 18 April 1918
    Example: German casualty list, 1918
    Casualty list Johann Beß

    Born 1899; from Neu Jaschnitz, Schwetz. Reported wounded in the Prussian casualty list of 30 November 1918.

    Verein für Computergenealogie e.V. (2026). Deutsche Verlustlisten des Ersten Weltkriegs – Datensammlung (Version 1.0), DOI 10.5281/zenodo.18330751 (CC0)
  2. A page of the German First World War casualty lists, 18 April 1918
    Example: German casualty list, 1918
    Casualty list Paul Beß

    From Angermünde. Reported wounded in the Prussian casualty list of 25 November 1915 (Infantry Regiment No. 64).

    Verein für Computergenealogie e.V. (2026). Deutsche Verlustlisten des Ersten Weltkriegs – Datensammlung (Version 1.0), DOI 10.5281/zenodo.18330751 (CC0)
  3. A page of the German First World War casualty lists, 18 April 1918
    Example: German casualty list, 1918
    Casualty list Wilhelm Beß

    From Hölkewiese, Bublitz. Reported wounded in the Prussian casualty list of 20 March 1916 (Infantry Regiment No. 52).

    Verein für Computergenealogie e.V. (2026). Deutsche Verlustlisten des Ersten Weltkriegs – Datensammlung (Version 1.0), DOI 10.5281/zenodo.18330751 (CC0)

Showing 3 of 44 records for Bess in Germany.

Counts: Verein für Computergenealogie e.V. (2026). Deutsche Verlustlisten des Ersten Weltkriegs – Datensammlung (Version 1.0), DOI 10.5281/zenodo.18330751 (CC0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Deutsche Verlustlisten, Prussian list 1116, 18 April 1918 (scan via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0).

Australia18 records

18 records of the Bess name in Australia
  • Victoria passenger lists, 1839–1923 16
  • Queensland State Archives indexes 2
  1. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Emily Bess

    Arrived in Victoria in 1857 aboard the Herald of the Morning, aged 18; English.

    Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record James Bess

    Arrived in Victoria in 1859 aboard the Greyhound, aged 14; English.

    Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Civil record Albert Bess

    Selected land at Ipswich, Queensland in 1887.

    Queensland State Archives (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 18 records for Bess in Australia.

Counts: Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0) · Queensland State Archives (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain); Civil register, Berlin, 1880, Landesarchiv Berlin (CC0).

Netherlands10 records

10 records of the Bess name in the Netherlands
  • Dutch population registers 6
  • Dutch civil registers (births, marriages, deaths) 3
  • Dutch church registers before 1811 1
  1. A marriage entry in the civil register of Tilburg, 1911
    Example: marriage register, 1911
    Marriage record Earnist Clide Bess

    Married in 1946 in Tilburg.

    Open Archives, Brabants Historisch Informatie Centrum (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Birth record Nehemie Bess

    Born 1885 in Leeuwarden.

    Open Archives, AlleFriezen (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A page of the 1910 United States census, Milwaukee
    Example: U.S. census, 1910
    Population register Albert Georg Bess

    In the population register of Amsterdam; born 1864 in Pforzheim.

    Open Archives, Stadsarchief Amsterdam (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 10 records for Bess in the Netherlands.

Counts: Open Archives (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Marriage register, Tilburg, 1911, Regionaal Archief Tilburg (public domain); Civil register, Berlin, 1880, Landesarchiv Berlin (CC0); U.S. census of 1910, Milwaukee (public domain).

France6 records

6 records of the Bess name in France France's national death register, 1970–2001
  1. A page of the death register of Nice, 1930
    Example: French death register, 1930
    Death record Josephine Marguerite Bess

    Born 1898 in Toulouse (Haute-Garonne); died 1990 in Gorges (Loire-Atlantique).

    Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte)
  2. A page of the death register of Nice, 1930
    Example: French death register, 1930
    Death record Simon Antoine Bess

    Born 1914 in Flavy-le-Martel; died 1982 in Jussy (Aisne).

    Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte)
  3. A page of the death register of Nice, 1930
    Example: French death register, 1930
    Death record Marc Sherwin Bess

    Born 1967 in New Amsterdam (Guyana); died 2000 in Cayenne (Guyane).

    Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte)

Showing 3 of 6 records for Bess in France.

Counts: Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Death register of Nice, 1930, Archives départementales des Alpes-Maritimes (public domain).

Canada5 records

5 records of the Bess name in Canada
  • Nova Scotia Archives name indexes 3
  • Ontario immigration records, 1865–1883 1
  • City of Winnipeg cemetery records 1
  1. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record James Bess

    Came to Ontario in 1875 aboard the Phoenician, bound for Hamilton, Ontario; Scotch.

    Archives of Ontario. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Ontario.
  2. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Death record Lillian M. Bess

    Died 1908 in Halifax, Nova Scotia.

    Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia.
  3. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Death record Robert Bess

    Died 1901 in Halifax, Nova Scotia.

    Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia.

Showing 3 of 5 records for Bess in Canada.

Counts: Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia. · Archives of Ontario. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Ontario. · City of Winnipeg. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Winnipeg. Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain); Civil register, Berlin, 1880, Landesarchiv Berlin (CC0).

Nearby in the index

Surnames next to Bess.

When the index is not enough

This page says where Bess is.
A volume says what happened to it.

Every page in the index is free and stays free. The Heritage Volume is the long form: the full paper trail, the arms, the crossing — bound, and yours.

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