Betsey
A diminutive form of the name Elizabeth, of Hebrew origin meaning "consecrated to God".
Name Census estimates that about 1,326 living Americans carry the first name Betsey. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Betsey today is around 61 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Betsey births was 1942 (62 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Betsey. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
People living today
1.3K
~ 1 in 258,487 Americans
Peak year
1942
62 babies that year
Average age
61
years old
2022 SSA rank
#15,676
Tracked since 1884
Popularity
Betsey: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Betsey from the 1880s through to the 2020s, spanning 15 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1940s, with 495 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1940s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Betsey by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Betsey during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Betseys live
The SSA's state-level files cover 7 states and territories. New York, Massachusetts, Connecticut recorded the most babies named Betsey, while New Jersey, California, Pennsylvania recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 63 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Betsey
Betsey is an English feminine given name derived from the Hebrew name Elizabeth, which means "consecrated to God" or "my God is an oath". It emerged as a pet form or nickname for Elizabeth during the Middle Ages in England.
The name Elizabeth has its roots in the biblical figure Elizabeth, the mother of John the Baptist. It was a popular name among English royalty, with Queen Elizabeth I (1533-1603) being one of the most notable bearers.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Betsey can be found in the writings of English author Samuel Richardson, who used it for a character in his novel "Pamela" published in 1740. This helped popularize the name in the 18th century.
Betsey Ross (1752-1836), an American upholsterer, is arguably the most famous bearer of this name. She is widely credited with sewing the first American flag, although the accuracy of this claim is debated by historians.
Another notable Betsey was Betsey Trotwood, a character in Charles Dickens' novel "David Copperfield" published in 1850. Her eccentric and strong-willed personality left a lasting impression on readers.
In the realm of arts and literature, Betsey Bayley (1793-1857) was an English artist and writer who authored several books for children under the name Mrs. Bayley.
Betsey Cushing Roosevelt Whitney (1908-1998), the first wife of John Hay Whitney and a member of the prominent Roosevelt family, was a prominent socialite and philanthropist in the United States.
Throughout history, the name Betsey has been a popular diminutive form of Elizabeth, reflecting its English origins and its enduring presence in literature and popular culture.
People
Betsey + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Betsey as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with B
Other first names starting with B with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Betsey: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Betsey?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 1,326 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Betsey going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 258,487 US residents.
Is Betsey a common name?
We classify Betsey as "Rare". It ranks above 91.8% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 2,481 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Betsey most popular?
The single biggest year for Betsey was 1942, when 62 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Betsey is about 61 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Betsey a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Betsey in the SSA data are female. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.