What Does the Name Pessy Mean?

In Eastern Europe, it was very common to name children with Yiddish names, which were very often a variation of an originally Hebrew name. "Pessy" is one such name.

According to the sources I've seen, "Pesse" is a Yiddish form of "Batya," which in Hebrew means "daughter of G‑d."

According to tradition, Batya was the name assumed by the daughter of Pharaoh (the one who rescued and raised Moses) after she converted to Judaism.

I hope that I have been of help.

Wishing you much success,

Rabbi Baruch S. Davidson

By Baruch S. Davidson

Rabbi Baruch S. Davidson serves as shliach and rabbi of the Shul Community at Chabad of the Main Line and is the writer of Lightpoints, a collection of insights on the Torah, adapted from the works of the Rebbe. Together with his wife and children, he lives in Lower Merion, in the Philadelphia suburbs.

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18 Comments

Willy Israel New York City (Bronx) January 17, 2022

I like this article. Judaism rules! Reply

Phyllis pollack Los Angeles January 16, 2022

If you look through the Yad VaShem lists, there were many variations of the spelling, like Peszah, Pesse and so forth. Reply

Ilana February 5, 2019

Thank you for this article. Am I correct in understanding that the name 'Pessiah/Pessya' shares the same origin as 'Pessy'? Thank you for your help. Reply

Phyllis Pollack Los Angeles December 18, 2016

The name Pessi and a diminutive vessel To the person asking the question about the name Pessi, and about a diminutive vessel, this is a guess. Being that Moses was pulled out of the water, and he was in a small basket as a baby, if you were bor during that Parsha, was there another connection related in addition to Basha? Is there a number In gematria that is an equivalent to Basha and vessel? I am just totally guessing any possibility Reply

Phyllis Pollack Los Angeles December 18, 2016

Thank you for telling me my Hebrew name! Dear anonymous below, thank you for answering a question that has plagued me for decades.
My late father told me my Hebrew name was Paysha, but I could find no such name.
Now, after reading the comment from anonymous, I know my father must have meant Pessa.
This has driven me more crazy than you could possibly imagine for years, wondering how my name could be Paysha.
I could find no such name anywhere.
I spent a lot of wasted money on Hebrew name books.
It is really true what my cantor used to say in Hebrew class.
He used to say, "It is a sin to 'shin,' when you should have said 'sin.'
This mystery of the letter "sin" being told to me as "shin" has caused me many problems.
All I knew was that I was born during Passover, so I finally tonight googled "Hebrew names" with "Passover."
Thank you to all who contributed here!
Tomorrow, I'm going to look up the Parsha from the Hebrew year I was born!!!!!
And thank you, Rabbi.
Hebrew names are a part of our spiritual identity! Reply

Anonymous Brooklyn, NY September 19, 2012

Pesha, yiddish name what is the Hebrew spelling of this name? I'm assuming it can't be pei-shin-ayin Reply

Talia New York, NY January 23, 2010

Batya, Pessi, Etc. My mom's name is Pessi, and on a name-meaning quest I went on a while ago, I found that Pessi is the Yiddish version of Batya, period. Since Batya means daughter of God, so does Pessi. Reply

Baruch Davidson March 20, 2009

Re: Anon Mar. 19th According to the Midrash, Bitya the daughter of Pharaoh is one of only nine people who merited to enter Gan Eden (Paradise) without passing away. The Midrash does not mention that she left Egypt, but it seems so from the fact that she was married to Caleb (Talmud, Megilah 13a) Reply

Anonymous March 19, 2009

Batya Did Batya go out of Egypt with the Jews? Reply

rg January 22, 2008

Batya or Bithia I have heard Pharoah's daughter's name in these 2 versions and on your own site you use both. which is correct and where is the source? Reply

Anonymous December 10, 2007

Re: Peshe As DZ pointed out, the Beis and Peh are both bi-labial and therefore interchangeable. Similarly, many words that end "sya" were pronounce "sha" in the slang pronunciation in some parts of Eastern Europe, (in other parts of Eastern Europe this worked the opposite way.) Many with the name Basya were therefore called Basha, from there it became Pasha, and from there Pesha. Reply

Anonymous January 16, 2022

in response to Anonymous:

Thank you Reply

K. F. T. Chicago, IL December 8, 2007

Peshe How does Peshe come from Basye? Reply

Shalom NYC December 2, 2007

Batya In Divrei Hayamim I (Chronicles I) 4:18 the daughter of Pharaoh is referred to as Bityah (or Bisya), but the name apparently evolved to become Batya (or Basya). Reply

DZ March 20, 2007

The Beis and Peih are both bi-labial and therefore interchangeable. Many with the name were called Basha, from there it became Pasha, from there Pesha and from there Pessya. Reply

Pessi Stolik Bklyn, NY March 18, 2007

The name Pessi In my case, Pessi is a diminutive of "Pessel" which a dear teacher of mine (whose wife has the same name) told me means "vessel" oe "large container" in Yiddish. I'd also be interested to know about the Batya connection. Reply

Anonymous Brooklyn, n.y. March 16, 2007

The name Pessy Please tell me the source for what you wrote. What does pessy have to do with batya? Reply

Anonymous L.A. January 16, 2022

in response to Anonymous:

I am positive that I saw that name in the Yad VaShem lists. You can check there online.
I was given the name Phyllis, because my grandmother thought it was the closest name to Pesse.
She died when I was too young to ask proper questions, but years later, my father said it was the equivalent of my Hebrew name. Reply

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