Bessie’s Notebook: Personalized Journal for Bessie
A simple, pretty journal made for one person: Bessie. Her name is set in script above pink watercolor apple blossom on the cover.
- 160 lined pages
- 6" x 9" paperback
- Watercolor apple blossom cover with "Bessie's Notebook" on the front
- Printed and shipped by Amazon
What does the name Bessie mean?
Bessie is a pet form of Elizabeth. Behind the Name lists it as a diminutive of Elizabeth, and Wikipedia says it has been used for Elizabeth, Beatrice and other names since the 16th century and is sometimes given as a name in its own right.
Bessie nicknames and other forms
Bessie sits in the big Elizabeth family. Behind the Name lists Bess, Beth, Betsy, Betty, Bettie, Elsie, Libby, Lizzie and Eliza among its relatives. Bess is the closest short form, and Queen Bess was a nickname given to more than one famous Bessie.
Some famous Bessies
Bessie Smith, the “Empress of the Blues”, was the most popular female blues singer of the 1930s, Wikipedia says; she began recording for Columbia in 1923 and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1989. Aviator Bessie Coleman was the first African-American woman and the first Native American to hold a pilot license, and the earliest known Black person to earn an international one.
Bessie through the decades
Bessie was everywhere around 1900. US Social Security data has it 13th in the 1880s and 14th in the 1890s, with more than 24,000 Bessies, then 22nd in the 1900s and 55th in the 1910s, when the count peaked at nearly 34,000. By the 1930s it had fallen to 132nd. A Bessie notebook is the perfect find for anyone named after a great-great-grandmother.
Did you know?
Bessie Coleman had to leave the country to learn to fly. Wikipedia says flight schools in the US would not train her, so she saved up, found sponsors in Chicago and went to France. She earned her license from the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale on June 15, 1921, and crowds knew her as “Queen Bess” and “Brave Bessie”.
Gift ideas for a Bessie
- For a pilot. A flight log, in honor of Bessie Coleman.
- For a blues fan. Lyrics and liner notes, in honor of Bessie Smith.
- For a namesake. A gift for a Bessie named after a great-grandmother.
- For Black History Month. Reading notes for two trailblazing Bessies.
Who is it for and how she can use it
Whether Bessie is eight or eighty, a 6" x 9" notebook is a comfortable size: big enough to write in properly, slim enough to carry. The 160 lined pages don’t come with a set layout, so she decides what it’s for. Journal, planner, class notes, recipes, travel log or doodle book all work. And with her name on the cover, nobody will mistake it for theirs.
Why personalized works
Personalized gifts show you thought about the person, not just the occasion. A notebook with Bessie on the cover is affordable, useful every day and still feels special. It’s also a safe choice when you’re not sure of someone’s style, because everyone needs somewhere to write things down.
Frequently asked questions
How big is Bessie’s Notebook? It’s 6" x 9" (about 15.2 x 22.9 cm), with 160 lined pages in a paperback cover.
Where do I buy it? On Amazon. It’s printed on demand and shipped by Amazon, so delivery and returns go through your usual Amazon account.
Do you have other names? Plenty. If you’re shopping for more than one person, see all name notebooks and our personalized name notebooks page.
Check out Bessie's Notebook on Amazon
As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases. Bessie's Notebook is published by Black Stag Publishing.