An uncommon pick — distinctive and rare.
Bettye is a girl's and boy's baby name of Hebrew origin, a stylized spelling variant of Betty, itself a diminutive of Elizabeth, meaning 'my God is an oath' or 'my God is abundance.' The -ye ending was a mid-20th century flourish to give the name extra distinction.
This spelling appeared particularly in African-American communities from the 1930s through the 1960s. Civil rights activist Bettye Lane and others gave the name a strong, purposeful character.
Bettye has 102+ years of history in the U.S., first appearing in 1883.
| Decade | Births | Trend |
|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 38 | ▼ |
| 1980s | 71 | ▼ |
| 1970s | 132 | ▼ |
| 1960s | 527 | ▼ |
| 1950s | 2,803 | ▼ |
| 1940s | 6,979 | — |
| 1930s | 7,051 | ▲ |
| 1920s | 4,629 | ▲ |
| 1910s | 550 | ▲ |
| 1900s | 93 | ▲ |
| 1890s | 37 | ▲ |
| 1880s | 10 | — |
| Year | Births | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 1998 | 5 | #14435 |
| 1997 | 5 | #14014 |
| 1996 | 5 | #13789 |
| 1992 | 9 | #8818 |
| 1991 | 6 | #11670 |
| 1990 | 8 | #9344 |
| 1989 | 5 | #12597 |
| 1987 | 5 | #11491 |
| 1986 | 8 | #7825 |
| 1985 | 7 | #8429 |
| 1984 | 9 | #6860 |
| 1983 | 12 | #5491 |
| 1982 | 8 | #7549 |
| 1981 | 7 | #8206 |
| 1980 | 10 | #6355 |
| 1979 | 5 | #10364 |
| 1978 | 8 | #7007 |
| 1977 | 10 | #5928 |
| 1976 | 7 | #7368 |
| 1975 | 5 | #9207 |
Source: U.S. Social Security Administration. Showing years with 5+ recorded births.
While overwhelmingly a girl's name, Bettye has also been given to 47 boys in the U.S. since 1930.
Last updated May 2026 · Data: U.S. Social Security Administration (1883–1998) · Methodology