Bettie
Bettie was the 9549th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 10 babies. Its best year was 1882, when it ranked 131st; the most babies were born in 1924 (1,228). Over the last ten years it has moved up 1,486 places. More babies were named Bettie in the 1920s than in any other decade.
Meaning (as Betty) pet form of Elizabeth · English, Hebrew
- Rank in 2025
- #9,549 girls, up 117 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 10girls
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a girl’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 19241,228 babies
- Total since 1880
- 38,478babies recorded
What does the name Bettie mean?
Bettie 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)
Bettie popularity since 1880
A few boys are given the name too: 83 since 1923.
| Year | Rank (girls) | Babies (girls) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #9,549 | 10 |
| 2020 | #9,666 | 10 |
| 2010 | #8,794 | 13 |
| 2000 | #10,875 | 8 |
| 1990 | #7,361 | 11 |
| 1980 | #3,517 | 23 |
| 1970 | #1,721 | 53 |
| 1960 | #775 | 174 |
| 1950 | #387 | 437 |
| 1940 | #225 | 747 |
| 1930 | #191 | 1,005 |
| 1920 | #232 | 777 |
| 1910 | #300 | 166 |
| 1900 | #250 | 167 |
| 1890 | #204 | 136 |
| 1880 | #138 | 113 |
How popular is Bettie, counting every spelling?
Bettie is a spelling of Betty, a name family that ranked #1,023 for girls in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #9,549 for Bettie 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 Bettie?
10 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Bettie (0.00 per 1,000 births). For a girl named Bettie 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 831 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Bettie.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Bettie?
About 10,000 people born in the US named Bettie are alive today, with a median age of 79; half are between 71 and 85. That makes Bettie 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 Bettie: their share of US girls followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Bettie, they share its era and feel.
Questions about the name Bettie
What does Bettie mean?
Bettie is a spelling of Betty, which means “pet form of Elizabeth” (English, Hebrew origin). Certainty: well established.
How popular is the name Bettie?
Bettie was the 9549th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 10 babies. Its best year was 1882, when it ranked 131st; the most babies were born in 1924 (1,228). Over the last ten years it has moved up 1,486 places. More babies were named Bettie in the 1920s than in any other decade.
Is Bettie a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a girl’s name given the name Bettie in the US.