Bette
Bette is a given name, sometimes short for Elizabeth and Bettina, and may refer to:
- English
Meaning & Origin of Bette
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Bette is a given name, sometimes short for Elizabeth and Bettina, and may refer to:
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
Cultural Origins (via Behind the Name)
- English
The Story of Bette
The earliest SSA record of Bette as a baby girl name dates back to 1896, when 5 babies received it. 1924 was its biggest year on record, with 1,736 newborns named Bette — #151 in the national rankings. The 1920s were its strongest decade, accounting for roughly 38% of all recorded Bettes. Its most recent appearance in the national data came in 2024 (11 births); the name has since faded from the published rankings. In total, more than 35K Bettes have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1890s through the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Variants & Related Forms of Bette
Foreign forms, alternate spellings, and nicknames that share roots with Bette. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
Notable people named Bette
A small selection from Wikipedia. Tap "Read more" below to see the full list on Wikipedia.
- Bette Davis (1908–1989), American actress
- Bette Franke (born 1989), Dutch fashion model
- Bette Nesmith Graham (1924–1980), inventor of liquid paper
- Bette Korber , American computational biologist
- Bette Midler (born 1945), American singer and actress
- Bette Otto-Bliesner , American earth scientist
- Bette Stephenson (1924–2019), Canadian physician and politician
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
Names that sound like Bette
Phonetically similar names — useful when Bette is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.
Frequently Asked Questions about Bette
What does the name Bette mean?
What is the origin of the name Bette?
How popular is Bette in 2026?
When was Bette most popular?
In which U.S. states is Bette most popular?
Is Bette a unisex name?
What names go well with Bette?
What are nicknames or variants of Bette?
About the name Bette
Bette is a girl baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1896 and has accumulated 35K births in the dataset. Bette's peak popularity came in 1924 when it ranked #151. Use the chart and map above to compare Bette's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 1924 →
- Names of the 1920s →
- Names starting with "B" →
- Browse all girl names →
- Top names of 2026 →
Data sources
- Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. Social Security Administration . Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships.
- Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — Behind the Name (used under their public API terms).
- Meaning prose and editorial summary — Wikipedia article extracts, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 .
- Predicted nationality distribution — Nationalize.io .
- Phonetically similar names — Datamuse .
Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides.