Bess

Bess is an English short form of Elizabeth, which derives from the Hebrew name Elisheba, composed of the elements meaning "my God" and either "is an oath" or "is abundance." The name gained lasting cultural prominence through Bess of Hardwick, the powerful sixteenth-century English noblewoman, and is closely associated with Queen Elizabeth I of England, who was famously nicknamed Good Queen Bess. Related forms include Bessie, Betsy, Beth, and Betty, all diminutives of the same Hebrew source name.