Beso is a Georgian masculine name, typically used as a short form of Besarion. Besarion itself is the Georgian form of Bessarion, a name of uncertain origin possibly derived from the Greek word βῆσσα (bessa), meaning "wooded valley." The name Bessarion carries historical weight, as it was borne by a 5th-century Egyptian hermit and disciple of Saint Anthony the Great. It later gained prominence through Basilios Bessarion (1403–1472), a Greek scholar born in Byzantine Anatolia who became a Roman Catholic cardinal and a key figure in the Renaissance transmission of Greek learning to the West. In the Republic of Georgia, Bessarion (or Besarion) was the birth name of two famous individuals: Besarion “Beso” Dvalishvili, a mixed martial artist, and Besarion “Beso” Kalandadze, a footballer. The truncation to Beso follows a Georgian onomastic pattern of forming affectionate or shortened versions of longer names, common to other names such as Goga from Giorgi. A widely known bearer of the name is Beso Gegechkori (1913–1938), a Georgian Bolshevik revolutionary and Politburo member executed during the Great Purge. Additionally, Beso Abramishvili is a fictional character in Georgian literature and modern memes, often referenced via political satires. The name Beso is also a word in the Georgian language, but its cultural resonance stems largely from its abbreviated use rather than purely lexical meaning. The name's distribution is overwhelmingly in Georgia and among the Georgian diaspora. Related Names Other linguistic forms of the root include Vissarion (the Russian equivalent) and the Late Greek Bessarion. While the direct short form Beso is typical in Georgia, derivative variants in other languages are mostly the ‘full’ scholarly versions, as the truncation is a specifically Georgian nickname. Meaning: Short form of Besarion (Georgian form of Bessarion, possibly meaning "wooded valley") Origin: Ancient Greek → Byzantine Greek → Georgian Type: Affectionate/hypocoristic first name Usage Regions: Georgia, Georgian diaspora