Bess is both a surname and a feminine given name, usually the shortened form (hypocorism) of Elizabeth. Notable people with the name include:
Given name
- Elizabeth I (1533–1603), Queen of England, also known as "Good Queen Bess"
- Bess of Hardwick (1527–1608), daughter of John Hardwick of Hardwicke
- Elizabeth Cavendish, Duchess of Devonshire (1759–1824), early female novelist
- Bess Streeter Aldrich (1881–1954), American author
- Bess Armstrong (born 1953), American actress
- Bess Berman (1902–1968), American record label executive
- Bess Bonnier (1928–2011), American jazz pianist, composer, and music educator
- Bess Bukodi, British professor
- Bess Phipps Dawson (1916–1994), American painter
- Bess Marie Eversull (1899–1978), first woman to earn a PhD in mathematics from the University of Cincinnati
- Bess Flowers (1898–1984), American actress
- Bess Larkin Housser Harris (1890–1969), Canadian painter
- Bess Lomax Hawes (1921–2009), American folk musician, folklorist, and researcher
- Elizabeth Holland (died 1547/8), mistress of Thomas Howard, 3rd Duke of Norfolk
- Bess Houdini (1876–1943), stage assistant and wife of Harry Houdini
- Bess Johnson (c. 1902 – 1975), American actress
- Bess Meredyth (1890–1969), screenwriter and silent film actress
- Bess Gearhart Morrison (1875–1968), American actress, educator, and speaker
- Bess Motta (born 1958), American actress, singer, choreographer, and exercise demonstrator
- Bess Myerson (1924–2014), first Jewish Miss America, and politician
- Bess Nkabinde (born 1959), South African judge
- Bess Norriss (1878–1939), Australian artist
- Bess Price (born 1960), Aboriginal Australian activist and politician
- Elizabeth Raleigh (1565–1647), wife of Sir Walter Raleigh
- Bess Rogers, American indie rock musician
- Bess Whitehead Scott (1890–1997), American journalist
- Bess Stinson (1902–1996), American politician
- Bess Taffel (1913–2000), American screenwriter
- Bess Thomas (1892–1968), Australian librarian
- Bess Truitt (1884–1972), Oklahoma Poet Laureate from 1945 to 1946
- Bess Truman (1885–1982), wife of President Harry S. Truman
- Bess Bolden Walcott (1886–1988), African-American educator, librarian, museum curator, and activist
Surname
- Brandon Bess (born 1987), West Indies Test cricketer
- Calvin Bess, Bishop of Trinidad and Tobago
- Daniel Bess, (born 1977), American television and film actor
- Davone Bess (born 1985), National Football League wide receiver
- Dom Bess (born 1997), England cricketer
- Georges Bess (born 1947), French comics artist
- Lane Bess (born 1961), American venture capitalist
- Rachel Bess (born c. 1979), American painter
- Robert T. Bess (1889–after 1958), British Guiana-born American stockbroker and civil rights activist
- Rufus Bess (born 1956), former National Football League cornerback
Fictional characters
- Bess, in the opera Porgy and Bess
- Bess, an alternate personality of Jessica Buchanan in the American soap opera One Life to Live
- Bess Lindstrom, in the television series The Mary Tyler Moore Show
- Bess Marvin, one of Nancy Drew's closest friends
- Elizabeth "Bess" McCord, protagonist of the American drama series Madam Secretary
See also
Name listThis page or section lists people that share the same given name or the same family name. If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change that link to point directly to the intended article. Categories: