Betsy
Girl name · #2720 in 2025 · Very rare
How old is the name Betsy? In official American birth records, Betsy has been tracked continuously since 1880, giving it 145 years of documented American history.
Betsy ranks #2720 among American girls' names as of 2025, with 63 newborns given the name that year. A decade ago it stood at #1695, so the name has been falling over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 28,571 girls born in 2025 was named Betsy.
Babies named Betsy per year. Source: Official national birth records.
The 145-year story
Betsy first appears in the Social Security records in 1880, when 14 girls received the name. Its peak came in 1959, when 1,390 girls were named Betsy — good for #228 that year. Today's parents encounter it as a name from their grandparents’ generation, which is precisely the vintage window from which names get revived. Following the curve matters more than today's snapshot: a name's position on its rise-peak-decline arc is the best predictor of how common it will feel in a kindergarten class five years from now.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Betsy against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Betsy in class?
On our rarity read — which blends how common Betsy is today with its five-year momentum — the name reads as "very rare". A high score means genuine rarity — your Betsy will likely be the only one in the room, with the occasional spelling-out as the price.
Where Betsy is most common
State-level data for Betsy is too sparse in 2025 to rank by rate — in most states its count falls below the SSA's per-state reporting threshold (counts under 5 are withheld).
Nicknames & related forms of Betsy
Betsy belongs to the Elizabeth family — closely related nicknames and spellings of the same name.
ElizabethLizLizzieBethElizaBettyBetsyLibby
Counted as one name, the Elizabeth family went to about 9,917 girls in 2025 — together they'd rank around #8, versus #2720 for Betsy alone.
Names like Betsy
Statistically, parents drawn to Betsy tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Sandy, Ginny, Becky, Cindy, and Marta.
SandyGinnyBeckyCindyMartaPollyBethBarbie
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Betsy | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 63 | #2719 |
| 2024 | 75 | #2413 |
| 2023 | 77 | #2352 |
| 2022 | 85 | #2208 |
| 2021 | 67 | #2586 |
| 2020 | 89 | #2065 |
| 2019 | 92 | #2056 |
| 2018 | 94 | #2059 |
| 2017 | 96 | #2035 |
| 2016 | 106 | #1897 |
| 2015 | 125 | #1695 |
| 2014 | 134 | #1602 |
| 2013 | 134 | #1599 |
| 2012 | 139 | #1566 |
| 2011 | 130 | #1646 |
| 2010 | 154 | #1468 |
| 2009 | 160 | #1450 |
| 2008 | 219 | #1167 |
| 2007 | 247 | #1059 |
| 2006 | 370 | #747 |
| 2005 | 119 | #1668 |
| 2004 | 153 | #1369 |
| 2003 | 133 | #1466 |
| 2002 | 123 | #1535 |
| 2001 | 124 | #1506 |
Frequently asked questions
How old is the name Betsy?
In official American birth records, the name Betsy first appeared in 1880 (over 145 years ago), when 14 newborn girls received the name. It has over a century of continuous American history.
Is Betsy a popular girl name?
Betsy ranked #2720 among girls in 2025 with 63 babies given the name — outside the top 500, making it an uncommon pick. Ten years earlier it ranked #1695.
When was the name Betsy most popular?
Betsy peaked in 1959, when 1,390 American girls received the name (ranked #228 that year). Since 1959 the name has declined from that high.
How rare is the name Betsy?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 28,571 newborn American girls was named Betsy. On our rarity scale (rarity blended with momentum) we classify it as "very rare".
Data source: Official American birth records, 1880–2025, national and state files. Counts reflect registered birth records for American families.