Bess?

[birdofthenorth]

We love the name Bess for a girl. What do you think? We're thinking she can be Bessie as a girl then Bess as a more elegant 'top of the CV' name as an adult.

It's hard to think of middle names tha go with it though as lots don't sound right.

My mum's name is Mary -is Bess Mary too old fashioned?

We also like Bess Ruby and Bess Evelyn.

Mother-in-law's name is Judith (def too old fashioned), but how about Bess Mary Jude? Is that riduculous?!

Thoughts welcome, please be as harsh as you like!

Bess is nice but it doesn't sound like a proper name. How about Elizabeth with Bess as a nn?

Also Bessie sounds like a 'big lass' kinda name if you know what I mean?!

Elizabeth Mary is lovely. Not keen on the Jude bit but as it has special meaning for you why not.

Bess is awful. It's a horses name imho.

I love it!

Middle names are hard - think you need a multi-syllable name to balance it out:
Penelope
Jemima
Marigold

etc.

Horse's.

Awful

I like it, but it's short for Elizabeth, so I would put that on the birth certificate (and on CVs etc in future)

I love Bess!! I think Bess Mary or Bess Evelyn are great. Not keen on Ruby as it's so popular. Jude is really a boy's name so I'd go with Judith if you can handle it. You could always have Bess Mary Judith then she can drop the Judith if she wants to. My LO has two middle names too - both her grandmas' names

I would use Elizabeth as the CV name. It seems a bit strange to me to use a nn as the first name followed by full names (Mary, Jude or Judith). To me, Bess seems a little middle aged, same with Bessie. There's no shortage of diminutives for Elizabeth -- Bess/Bessie wouldn't be my first choice. I love Mary and also Judith or Jude as middle names.

Lovely, I have an Elisabeth known as Bess/ie (cat).
Elisabeth Mary would be very nice.

.... and if you go for Elizabeth you (and your daughter) have a choice of so many diminutives: Bess, Beth, Libby, Liz, etc etc.

I know a Beatrice who is known as Bess. Parents didn't liked Bea so went with Bess. I always thought it was a cow or horse name, but now I associate it with a smiley happy curly-haired toddler and think it's great!

No! Reminds me of a toy doll from the 1950s in an Enid Blyton book or something. Sorry. Can't stand it.

Couldn't you go for Elizabeth and then your DD will have options if she loathes Bess?

I think it's lovely

Sorry, it's a horse name (or maybe a dog, in fact a friend had a dog called Bess). Much prefer Tess, except for the tragic association.

Mary and Evelyn are lovely though.

I would also choose Elizabeth, because there are so many choices of nn. Bess is nice as a nn.

Dreadful as anything other than a nickname.

Thanks for your help all, I am definately considering retreating on Bess as her full name!

I think it's utterly gorgeous. It's both classy and cool at the same time.

Yeah...classy and cool. That sums it up!

I'd go for Elizabeth definitely and shorten to Bess (not overly keen on Bess though for some reason). I prefer Libby or Beth as a shortening of Elizabeth.

I'd pick Elisabeth is you want Bess (I think the "s" version works better if you like that nn, and it is a perfectly proper spelling. I'd go for Elisabeth Mary or Elisabeth Jude, but probably not Elisabeth Mary Jude (I have two middle names and a long first name and it's a bit much tbh).

Bessie is my friends dog. I prefer Tess or Tessa.

Why not go for Betsey which is near Bess (i am afraid i agree with the big lass comment earlier); with Elizabeth or Lisbeth on officialese? Tessa is also pretty and seems less of a nn than Tess (also less Hardyesque).

Why not go for Betsey which is near Bess (i am afraid i agree with the big lass comment earlier); with Elizabeth or Lisbeth on officialese? Tessa is also pretty and seems less of a nn than Tess (also less Hardyesque).