Many of our readers have reached out to us wondering why the majority of cows are named Bessie. That will be the topic of today’s article, as we discuss the origins of the name and why it is still used today.
Why are cows named Bessie?
The reason cows are named Bessie is because the name of their genus is Bos. Genus refers to the taxonomic rank that is used to classify living organisms. There is still no concrete theory of how the term Bos grew into Bessie, but many people suspect that Bessie is just the “Americanized” version of Bos. The original word “Bos” is Latin. Bos includes both wild and domestic cattle. The Bos gene group is separated into four sub genes (Bos, Bibos, Novibos, and Poephagus). Bos are categorized as herbivores that obtain the majority of their food from graving grasslands. They tend to have large, strong teeth that are used to break down the large quantities of grass they consume. Bos are also known for their special 4 quadrant stomach that ferments the food for nutrients before it is digested.
Aside from the name of their genus group, cows are also named Bessie because of the infamous Bessie the cow from Ripley’s Believe it or Not. This Bessie the cow rose to fame in 1997, when it was reported that she had a record setting 10th set of twins. This is believed by most people as the record for the most set of twins ever had by a cow. To understand the rarity of this, you should know that only about 5% of calf births result in twins. Therefore, the odds of a cow having 10 sets of twins is 1 in a billion. This is because the large size of newborn calves makes it very hard for a mother to carry two at the same time. Due to the rarity of Bessie the Cow’s 10 sets of twins, she became famous and started going around carnivals and fairs. As a result, her name gained great recognition, which is why there are so many cows named Bessie.
Aside from Bessie, there are also plenty of other cow names that start with the letter “B.” These include. No one is really sure why the letter “B” is so popular when it comes to naming cows.