Daily AncestorBessie
Bessie was a nickname for Elizabeth in American records of the 1700s and 1800s.
Bessie is a pet form of Elizabeth built on Bess. It was also given as a full name, so a Bessie may have been baptized Bessie.
Many records were made with the name a person went by, so look for Bessie as well as Elizabeth in indexes. Check other details before treating them as one woman.
As seen in a record1900 census; her marriage license a few years later gives Elizabeth
Bessie Quarrier, Daughter, Jan. 1879, 21, S, Va.
Sources
How to cite this page
Daily Ancestor. "Bessie." Dictionary of Old Record Words. https://dailyancestor.com/dictionary/nicknames/bessie. Last checked 2026-10-15.