Bette
Bette was the 11103rd most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 8 babies. Its best year was 1923, when it ranked 148th; the most babies were born in 1924 (1,736). Over the last ten years it has moved down 69 places. More babies were named Bette in the 1920s than in any other decade.
Meaning (as Betty) pet form of Elizabeth · English, Hebrew
- Rank in 2025
- #11,103 girls, up 1,256 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 8girls
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a girl’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 19241,736 babies
- Total since 1880
- 34,919babies recorded
What does the name Bette mean?
Bette is a spelling of Betty, pronounced the same way, so it shares Betty's meaning and origin.
Betty is a pet form of Elizabeth, as Wiktionary notes, formed from Bet or Bett with the -y ending. Elizabeth comes from Hebrew Elisheva, usually explained as 'my God is an oath'. Betty was common in 18th-century England and became one of the most popular American girls' names of the 1920s and 1930s, the era of actress Bette Davis and cartoon character Betty Boop.
אֱלִישֶׁבַע (Elisheva) (Biblical Hebrew, “my God is an oath”)
How sure is this? Well established.
Related names: Elizabeth, Bette, Betsy, Beth, Bettie.
See also: Hebrew names, names that mean God.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Betty', Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0; facts restated, no text reused)
- Dictionary of Medieval Names from European Sources, ed. S. L. Uckelman, Edition 2023 no. 1, s.v. 'Elizabeth', DMNES (Durham University)
Bette popularity since 1880
A few boys are given the name too: 22 since 1924.
| Year | Rank (girls) | Babies (girls) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #11,103 | 8 |
| 2020 | #12,359 | 7 |
| 2010 | #15,267 | 6 |
| 2000 | — | — |
| 1990 | #11,565 | 6 |
| 1980 | #4,344 | 17 |
| 1970 | #2,359 | 32 |
| 1960 | #859 | 145 |
| 1950 | #377 | 459 |
| 1940 | #233 | 729 |
| 1930 | #221 | 774 |
| 1920 | #196 | 1,000 |
| 1910 | #943 | 21 |
| 1900 | #1,751 | 6 |
| 1890 | — | — |
| 1880 | — | — |
How popular is Bette, counting every spelling?
Bette is a spelling of Betty, a name family that ranked #1,023 for girls in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #11,103 for Bette on its own. Together these spellings went to 230 girls in 2025.
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 Bette?
8 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Bette (0.00 per 1,000 births). For a girl named Bette 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 1,057 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Bette.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Bette?
About 9,600 people born in the US named Bette are alive today, with a median age of 79; half are between 72 and 85. That makes Bette 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.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Bette: their share of US girls followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Bette, they share its era and feel.
Questions about the name Bette
What does Bette mean?
Bette is a spelling of Betty, which means “pet form of Elizabeth” (English, Hebrew origin). Certainty: well established.
How popular is the name Bette?
Bette was the 11103rd most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 8 babies. Its best year was 1923, when it ranked 148th; the most babies were born in 1924 (1,736). Over the last ten years it has moved down 69 places. More babies were named Bette in the 1920s than in any other decade.
Is Bette a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a girl’s name given the name Bette in the US.