Girl · #1,015 in 2026

Betty

Betty or Bettie is a feminine given name. It is commonly a diminutive for the names Bethany and Elizabeth. In Latin America, it is also a common diminutive for the given name Beatriz, the Spanish and Portuguese form of the Latin name Beatrix and the English name Beatrice. In the 17th and 18th centuries, it was more often a diminutive of Bethia.

  • English
Current Rank
#1,015
Peak Rank
#2 (1930)
Total Babies
1.0M
5-Yr Trend
+21%
1880
First Year
2026
Last Year
1930
Peak Year
#2
Peak Rank
1.0M
Total Count
147
Years Active

Meaning & Origin of Betty

What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.

Betty or Bettie is a feminine given name. It is commonly a diminutive for the names Bethany and Elizabeth. In Latin America, it is also a common diminutive for the given name Beatriz, the Spanish and Portuguese form of the Latin name Beatrix and the English name Beatrice. In the 17th and 18th centuries, it was more often a diminutive of Bethia.

Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →

Cultural Origins (via Behind the Name)

  • English

The Story of Betty

American parents first put Betty on the record books as a baby girl name in 1880, with 117 registered babies. Its peak popularity came in 1930, when 38,238 Bettys were born — ranking #2 that year. The 1930s were its strongest decade, accounting for roughly 30% of all recorded Bettys. In the latest 2026 data it stands at #1,015 among baby girl names with 249 births, rising sharply (+21% over the past five years). In total, more than 1.0M Bettys have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1880s through the 2020s.

Popularity Over Time

Popularity by State

ME
WA
MT
ND
MN
WI
MI
NY
VT
NH
MA
OR
ID
SD
IA
IL
IN
OH
PA
NJ
CT
RI
CA
NV
WY
NE
MO
KY
WV
VA
MD
DE
DC
UT
CO
KS
AR
TN
NC
SC
AK
AZ
NM
OK
LA
MS
AL
GA
HI
TX
FL
Top 10
11-50
51-100
101-500
500+
No data

Variants & Related Forms of Betty

Foreign forms, alternate spellings, and nicknames that share roots with Betty. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.

Where is Betty most common?

Predicted country distribution based on naming patterns globally.

  • United States
    56%
  • France
    13%
  • CO
    10%
  • Mexico
    10%
  • PE
    10%

Source: Nationalize.io . Probabilities are global naming-pattern estimates, not strict counts.

Names that sound like Betty

Phonetically similar names — useful when Betty 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 Betty

What does the name Betty mean?
Betty or Bettie is a feminine given name. It is commonly a diminutive for the names Bethany and Elizabeth. In Latin America, it is also a common diminutive for the given name Beatriz, the Spanish and Portuguese form of the Latin name Beatrix and the English name Beatrice. In the 17th and 18th centuries, it was more often a diminutive of Bethia.
What is the origin of the name Betty?
Betty has roots in the following cultural and linguistic traditions: English.
How popular is Betty in 2026?
In 2026, Betty ranks #1,015 among girls' names in the U.S., with 249 babies given the name that year.
When was Betty most popular?
Betty reached its peak popularity in 1930, ranking #2 that year with 38,238 babies given the name.
In which U.S. states is Betty most popular?
Betty has historically been most popular in Idaho, Kansas, Montana. Rankings vary year to year, but these states show the strongest concentration of births named Betty.
Is Betty a unisex name?
In U.S. Social Security records, Betty is primarily a girl's name. We don't have meaningful data for it as a boy's name.
What names go well with Betty?
Names that share a similar style or popularity range with Betty include Anna, Helen, Susan. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data.
What are nicknames or variants of Betty?
Common variants and related forms of Betty include Bess, Bessie, Beth, Betsy, Bette, Bettie. These cover foreign-language equivalents, alternate spellings, and short forms.

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About the name Betty

Betty is a girl baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1880 and has accumulated 1.0M births in the dataset. Betty's peak popularity came in 1930 when it ranked #2. Use the chart and map above to compare Betty's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.

Continue exploring

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.