Find out how popular the last name Betsey is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Betsey.

Betsey, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Betsey surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Betsey in America

Betsey is the 94730th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Betsey surname appeared 193 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Betsey.

We can also compare 2010 data for Betsey to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Betsey

The surname Betsey is believed to have originated from England. It is thought to be a variant of the name Beatrice, which is derived from the Latin name Beatrix, meaning "she who brings happiness" or "traveler."

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Betsey can be found in the Domesday Book, a comprehensive record of landholdings in England compiled in 1086. The entry mentions a landowner named Betsie, which is believed to be an early spelling variation of Betsey.

In the 13th century, the surname Betsey was particularly prevalent in the counties of Lincolnshire and Yorkshire. Historical records from this period show several instances of the name, such as John Betsey, a merchant from Lincoln who lived in the late 1200s.

During the medieval period, the name Betsey was often associated with place names, such as Betsey End in Bedfordshire and Betsey Cray in Kent. These place names may have influenced the spelling and pronunciation of the surname over time.

One notable individual with the surname Betsey was Sir Thomas Betsey, a member of the English gentry who lived in the 15th century. He was a landowner and served as a justice of the peace in Berkshire.

In the 17th century, the name Betsey gained prominence among Puritan families in England. One example is William Betsey, a Puritan minister who was born in 1615 and served as a pastor in Massachusetts after emigrating to the American colonies.

Another historical figure with the surname Betsey was Elizabeth Betsey, a prominent Quaker activist who lived in the late 18th century. She was born in 1745 and was known for her advocacy of women's rights and abolition of slavery.

In the 19th century, the surname Betsey was relatively common in England, particularly in the counties of Yorkshire, Lincolnshire, and Norfolk. One notable individual from this period was John Betsey, a successful businessman and philanthropist who lived from 1808 to 1886 in Manchester.

Over the centuries, the surname Betsey has evolved and taken on various spellings, such as Betsy, Bettsey, and Betsie. However, the root of the name can be traced back to its English origins and the Latin name Beatrix.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Betsey

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Betsey.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Betsey was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Betsey has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Betsey was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Betsey, please contact us.

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