Given name & surname
Hess
“one who is bold”
Hess is a variant of Hessel. One Dutch interpretation is “one who is bold.”
Meaning & origin
What it means
Hess is a variant of Hessel. One Dutch interpretation is “one who is bold.”
Explained through its name family
Where it comes from
Hess is a variant of Hessel. An origin associated with Hessel is Dutch.
Explained through its name family
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1920. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin.
From dated birth records
Hess through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 10
- 10 boys · 0 girls
- Most popular year
- 1920
- 5 babies
- 2025
- 0
- Outside the ranked list
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- —
- Too few births to compare
By the numbers
The most recent published U.S. birth count for boys is 5 in 1922. Later missing counts do not mean the name went unused. Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 120 as a first name in 2020; 57,557 as a surname in 2020.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
Hess’s family of names
Hess has a related form in Hessel. In German usage, Hess as a surname has a related form in HESSE. In German usage, Hess as a surname has a related form in Hessle.
The ring: nicknames and forms.
Nicknames & forms 3
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
Similar names
If you love Hess, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
Hughes
“having a bright mind”
>99% boys
Yates
“keeper of the gates”
>99% boys
Herschel
“resembling a deer”
>99% boys
Homer
“a tomboyish woman” · “of the pledge; an epic poet”
>99% boys
Jess
“The Lord sees all” · “gift”
80% boys · 20% girls
Horace
“the keeper of time”
>99% boys
Herman
“a soldier”
>99% boys
Hilton
“a wealthy woman” · “from the town on the hill”
85% boys · 15% girls