Origin of Bes


Recorded as in England and Scotland as Bess, Besse, Bessey, Biss, Bisset, Bissett, and in France and Belgium as Bes, Bess, Besse, Bex, Bez, with diminutives including Besseau, Besset, Bessey, Bezou, Bezout, and collectives such as Bessiere, Bessire, Besseyre, Bessede, and possibly others such as Bessett, this is usually a surname of French origins. If so it is topogrphical or perhaps locational, and describes a person who lived by a bes, meaning a birch tree or birch wood, or from a village of the same name.

According to several authoritive dictionaries of surnames it is from the region known as Provencal, although "bes" ultimately derives from the Roman (Latin) word "bettius". However there is also some confusion in the British Isles and perhaps occasionally on the Continent, with the popular shortform of the famous English female name Elizabeth, of which Bess or Besse were popular nickname forms, or even in some cases the Scottish surname Bisset or Bissett which is also found as Besset and Bessett. It is unclear when the surname was first recorded, but in France where few recordings have survived from before the famous or infamous Revolution of 1792, when most records were burnt. Those that did survive include Jen Besset at Loromontezey, Meurthe-et -Moselle, on December 13th 1592, Antoine Bes, at Montauban, Tarn-et-Garone, on December 22nd 1658, and in England Anne Bess at the church of St Mildred Poultrey, city of London, on March 3rd 1582, and Abraham Bessiere at Threadneedle Street French church, also city of London, on January 17th 1630, and Francis Bessie at St James Dukes Place, Westminster, on November 21st 1682. However the earliest recording of all is believed to be that of Henricus Byset, who witnessed a charter by King William of Scotland, and known as "The lion", in 1193.

The surname Bes. Its genealogy, origins, history, and meaning.

Discovering the historical origins of Bes is an incredibly exciting journey that takes us back to the ancestors and relatives who built this lineage. Like most surnames, the history of the surname Bes is a thorny and surprising journey into the past in order to find out the origin of the surname Bes, which leads us to have more knowledge about those who bear the surname Bes, their origin, their coat of arms, the bibliography in which it appears... It is possible to trace their genealogy and, in addition to the original places of Bes, we know where it is possible to find people with the surname Bes today.

View complete list of Bes in the world

Bes: historical chronicle

The history of Bes is an interesting sequence of events that were protagonized by the people who have held the surname Bes throughout history, and it is possible to trace this history back to the first bearers of the surname Bes. Their feats, their way of life, the places they lived, their family relationships, the jobs they held... All of this is crucial for anyone who, like you, is interested in having more information about the historical, heraldic, coat of arms, and nobility of the surname Bes. In the following lines, you can find everything we have been able to compile about the surname Bes. However, if you have more information that you would like to share, we would greatly appreciate your contribution to expand the knowledge of people who, like you, are looking to increase their knowledge about the surname Bes.

Unfortunately, we do not have any more historical information about Bes than the one we have provided with pleasure. We invite those who visit us on this website to analyze the recommended bibliography and to come back often, since we often receive valuable collaborations from other people interested in the origin and history of surnames that could have information of special interest about the surname Bes, and that we would update on this website as soon as possible (after a previous verification). Similarly, if you consider yourself one of those people, we urge you to support us and send us the information about Bes that is available to you, thanking you in advance for your detail.

The most famous Bes in history

There have probably been some significant Bes throughout the history of humanity, even if, for some reason, not all of their contributions were included in the chronicles of the time or their data has not come down to the present day. Unfortunately, not all of the important contributions of people who have carried the surname Bes were taken into account at the time by the chroniclers of the time. Although a surname has the ability to link a person to a famous lineage and a glorious coat of arms, it is individuals who, throughout their lives and by virtue of some outstanding or important achievements for the society in which they lived, give their surnames renown and it is possible to establish prominent lineages. For this reason, we want to highlight on this website those people with the surname Bes who, for some reason, have left their mark on the course of history.

The surname Bes and its bibliographic sources

Based on all the research we have been able to gather so far, we can say that there is information available about the history, genealogy, and heraldry of the surname Bes thanks to bibliographic sources. This means that we can discover more about its original meaning, origin, history, coat of arms, and heraldry. Our recommendation is to consult the following sources if you want to conduct research on the surname Bes, as well as many other surnames:

Bibliographic sources for Bes

These sources are essential for taking a step forward in the study of Bes, and of surnames in general.