Bess vs Josefine
Bess and Josefinecompared on official birth-registration statistics and Namewise's recorded data. This page states what each name's record shows — it never picks a winner or scores one name against the other.
Head to head
Ranks are only compared within one published list and one year. Two ranks from different years, from a boys' and a girls' list, or from different registrars are not comparable, so they are not placed side by side.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2023, Bess was ranked #2927 and Josefine #5687 among girls in England and Wales.
Bess and Josefine over time
Bess and Josefine appear together in 1 published list, across 10 years of shared records. Bess held the stronger position in more years in 1 of them, Josefine in 0.
The order between them changed and held in one of those lists — a change in that published list, never a claim that one name displaced the other.
Josefine reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 1 of those lists, and Bess in none. Each position is a place inside its own list, so this compares when they peaked and never how high.
Counted list by list. Two names in the same published list are measured on the same scale in the same year, so those comparisons are real — but positions from different lists are not, so nothing here is combined into an overall standing.
List by list
England and Wales · Girls10 shared years, 1999–2023
Bess held the stronger position in 8 of those years, Josefine in 0.
Highest recorded here: Bess #2233 in 2007, Josefine #3225 in 1999.
The order changed in 2007: Bess moved ahead. In 2006 they stood at #4373 and #4373; by 2007 that had become #2233 and #5201.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Bess #2927, Josefine #5687.
Two names moving past each other in a ranking is a fact about the ranking. Namewise does not claim one name displaced the other, that families chose between them, or that either influenced the other — none of that is in this data.
Side by side
| Field | Bess | Josefine |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Official statistical record (evidence-only) | Official statistical record (evidence-only) |
| Gender usage | female | female |
| Meaning | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Origin | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Pronunciation | Not yet recorded | |
| Syllables | 1 | 4 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | GB-ENW | GB-ENW, NO |
| Most recent popularity observation | England and Wales · Girls #5891 (2024) | Norway · Girls #24 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 95/100 | 76/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 40/100 | 60/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Bess has 1 syllable, compared with 4 for Josefine.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW.
How each name got here
Bess
Popularity journey
First recorded1999
First recorded at #3225 among girls in England and Wales in 1999 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
England and Wales · Girls
Highest recorded1999–2024
Highest recorded position: #1966 among girls in England and Wales, in 2014 (recorded 1999–2024).
England and Wales · Girls
Most recent2024
Most recently recorded at #5891 among girls in England and Wales, in 2024.
England and Wales · Girls
Josefine
Popularity journey
First recorded1975
First recorded at #606 among girls in Norway in 1975 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Girls
Highest recorded1975–2025
Highest recorded position: #24 among girls in Norway, in 2025 (recorded 1975–2025).
Norway · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #24 among girls in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Girls