Bless

♂ Boy

Pronounced BLES /ˈblɛs/High

Meaning: The English verb of benediction — from Old English bletsian — used as a faith-forward word nameHigh

In 30 seconds: A benediction that answers roll call: Bless is the verb itself — divine favor in one syllable. The newest, shortest entry in the faith-name register.

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Origin HighEnglish

MeaningThe English verb of benediction — from Old English bletsian — used as a faith-forward word name

U.S. rank (2025)#6183 ↘ Falling

2025 U.S. births14 boys (0.00% of U.S. boys)

Peak year2018

Total births (all-time)≈ 490

Popularity in the U.S. · SSA data

U.S. births per year (Social Security Administration, 1880–present). Pink marker = peak year.

SSA data updated May 2026. How we source & verify this data.

History & Origin

Bless comes from Old English bletsian, the verb of consecration that mellowed into every 'bless you' since. As a given name it joins the twenty-first-century faith-word lane of Blessing, Praise, and Amen, used for both sexes and seeded in African and African American Christian naming.

It remains very rare — a name that performs its meaning at every introduction.

Did you know? Old English bletsian — Bless's thousand-year-old root — originally involved consecrating with blood, a Viking-age intensity now fully soft-focus.

Overall data confidence 88%

Oxford English Dictionary — bless — word etymology

Variations

BlessingBlessedBlesson

Nicknames

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If you like Bless…

Blessing— the noun form already established for children

Amen— the fellow liturgical word name

Kross— shares the -ss ending

Blaize— lands in the same popularity range

Brave— another English name

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Frequently Asked

What does the name Bless mean?

Bless is the English verb of benediction, from Old English bletsian, used as a faith-forward word name.

How do you pronounce Bless?

It's said BLES /ˈblɛs/ — a single syllable.

Is Bless a boy or girl name?

Bless is used for both sexes; this page covers its use as a boy's name.

How popular is Bless?

Bless is a vanishingly rare word name in the U.S.