indicate the level to which a name has been verified.
Meaning & History
Of Frisian origin, this name is possibly a diminutive of a shortened form of Germanic names that contain either the element bern meaning "bear" or the element beraht meaning "bright". Also compare Wessel and similar names.Known bearers of this name include the Dutch businessman Bessel Kok (b. 1941) and the Dutch author and psychiatrist Bessel van der Kolk (b. 1943).