Betsy
Betsy was the 2724th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 63 babies. Its best year was 1959, when it ranked 228th with 1,390 babies. Over the last ten years it has moved down 1,028 places. More babies were named Betsy in the 1950s than in any other decade.
Meaning pet form of Elizabeth · English, Hebrew
Say it BET-see /ˈbɛtsi/
- Rank in 2025
- #2,724 girls, down 655 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 63girls
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a girl’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 19591,390 babies
- Total since 1880
- 48,957babies recorded
What does the name Betsy mean?
Betsy is an English pet form of Elizabeth, from a short form (Bet) plus the friendly ending -sy. Elizabeth comes through Greek from the Hebrew Elisheva, "my God is an oath". In the US the name is linked with Betsy Ross, who by tradition sewed the first Stars and Stripes. Betsy was most common in the 1950s.
אֱלִישֶׁבַע (Biblical Hebrew, “Elisheva, "my God is an oath"”)
How sure is this? Well established.
Related names: Elizabeth, Bess, Betty, Bettie, Beth.
See also: Hebrew names, names that mean God.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Betsy', Wiktionary (Wikimedia Foundation)
- Dictionary of Medieval Names from European Sources, ed. S. L. Uckelman, Edition 2023 no. 1, s.v. 'Elizabeth', DMNES (Durham University)
- Wikipedia, 'Betsy', Wikipedia (Wikimedia Foundation)
Betsy popularity since 1880
A few boys are given the name too: 10 since 1942.
| Year | Rank (girls) | Babies (girls) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #2,724 | 63 |
| 2020 | #2,069 | 89 |
| 2010 | #1,470 | 154 |
| 2000 | #1,245 | 157 |
| 1990 | #740 | 281 |
| 1980 | #413 | 536 |
| 1970 | #446 | 492 |
| 1960 | #247 | 1,252 |
| 1950 | #254 | 890 |
| 1940 | #255 | 607 |
| 1930 | #349 | 361 |
| 1920 | #519 | 183 |
| 1910 | #705 | 36 |
| 1900 | #745 | 24 |
| 1890 | #761 | 13 |
| 1880 | #451 | 14 |
How popular is Betsy, counting every spelling?
Betsy is the most common spelling of a name family that had 69 girls in 2025 across its spellings. Together these spellings went to 69 girls in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Betsy | 63 | #2,724 | 367 |
| Betzy | 6 | #13,466 | 34 |
Spellings count together when they sound the same in American English and are used for the same sex; nicknames and forms that sound different (such as Theo and Theodore) are kept apart. How we group spellings.
How many kids will share the name Betsy?
63 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Betsy (0.02 per 1,000 births). For a girl named Betsy born in 2025, the chance that another child with the same name is in a class of 20 children the same age is under 1 in 50. If every grade liked the name as much as the 2025 babies do, only about one elementary school in 133 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Betsy.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Betsy?
About 35,100 people born in the US named Betsy are alive today, with a median age of 62; half are between 45 and 71. That makes Betsy a name most people associate with older generations.
Babies given the name each year (SSA) times the share of that birth year still alive (SSA life tables). Counts people born in the US only. Method.
Betsy by state
How common Betsy was among girls born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in Pennsylvania (2.2×). In 44 states fewer than five girls a year got the name, too few for SSA to publish, so those states show as zero.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Betsy: their share of US girls followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Betsy, they share its era and feel.
Middle names for Betsy · Sibling names for Betsy
Betsy is also a nickname for Elizabeth.
Questions about the name Betsy
What does Betsy mean?
Betsy means “pet form of Elizabeth” (English, Hebrew origin). Certainty: well established.
How popular is the name Betsy?
Betsy was the 2724th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 63 babies. Its best year was 1959, when it ranked 228th with 1,390 babies. Over the last ten years it has moved down 1,028 places. More babies were named Betsy in the 1950s than in any other decade.
Is Betsy a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a girl’s name given the name Betsy in the US.
Where is Betsy most popular?
In 2021–2025, Betsy was most common in Pennsylvania (0.10 per 1,000 girls), followed by Texas and Tennessee.