Bess History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Netherlands
France

Early Origins of the Bess family

The surname Bess was first found in Holland, where the name became noted for its many branches in the region, each house acquiring a status and influence which was envied by the princes of the region. The name was first recorded in South Holland, a province of Holland, the most crowded province of the Netherlands. The principal cities are Rotterdam, Leyden and Shiedam. Noted is the famed castle of Teilengen where Jacqueline of Bavaria is buried. In their later history the surname became a power unto themselves and were elevated to the ranks of nobility as they grew into this most influential family.

Early History of the Bess family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Bess research. Another 92 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1610, 1674 and 1829 are included under the topic Early Bess History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Bess Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Best, Beste, Bestes, Bestt, Besst, Beest, Beests, Bestte, van Best and many more.

Early Notables of the Bess family

Another 34 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Bess Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Bess Ranking

In the United States, the name Bess is the 2,697^th most popular surname with an estimated 12,435 people with that name. 1

Bess migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Bess Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Mr Bess, who arrived in Virginia in 1663 2
William Bess, who arrived in Virginia in 1695 2

Bess Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Philip Bess, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1738 2
Christian Bess, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1754 2
James Bess, who settled in America in 1768
Simon Jacob Bess, who arrived in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1772 2

Bess Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Edward Bess, aged 71, who arrived in Washington County, Pennsylvania in 1820 2
Leopold Bess, aged 42, settled in Philadelphia in 1822
Guntraus Bess, aged 17, who landed in New York in 1854 2
Juan De Bess, who arrived in Florida in 1863 2
Anna Bess, aged 15, settled in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in 1878
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Bess (post 1700) +

Gerald D. Bess (b. 1958), former professional American NFL football cornerback from Pensacola, Florida
Gordon C. Bess (1929-1989), American cartoonist from Richfield, Utah, best known for the comic strip Redeye
Daniel Luke Bess (b. 1977), American television and film actor
Davone Atrayo Bess (b. 1985), American NFL football wide receiver for the Miami Dolphins
Brandon Jeremy Bess (b. 1987), Guyan-born, international cricketer
Ardon Bess, Canadian Gemini Award nominated actor
Georges Bess (b. 1947), French comics artist and comic book creator
Bess Chudoff, American Democratic Party politician, Alternate Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Pennsylvania, 1960 3
Bess Wallace Truman (1885-1982), American First Lady, wife of President Truman
Bess Streeter Aldrich (1871-1954), American author

Citations +

"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2016, January 25) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html