Total births
48,947
Girls' name · since 1880
Betsy
Betsy has 48,947 recorded births since 1880 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 1959 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.
- #2415
- among girls today
- 48,947
- born since 1880
- 1950s
- peak decade
- 86%
- more common than other girls
48,947 babies have been named Betsy since 1880, making it today's #2415 girls' name.
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Betsy has been recorded 48,947 times among girls since 1880, currently ranked #2415 nationally and more common than 86% of girls, with its heaviest use in the 1950s. This profile covers year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution, all derived directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1880 to 2025.
- #2415 among girls today
- 48,947 born since 1880
- 1950s peak decade
- 86% more common than other girls
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Betsy is currently the #2415 girls' name in America, more common than 86% of girls - 48,947 born since 1880, peaking in the 1950s.
- #2415
- among girls today
- 48,947
- born since 1880
- 1950s
- peak decade
- 86%
- more common than other girls
Betsy vs. every other girls name in current SSA rankings
#2415
of 17,726 girls in use
More common than 86% of names given to girls today.
1950s
Peak decade
22% of everyone ever named Betsy was born in this single decade.
1959
Single peak year
1,390 babies were named Betsy in 1959 - its busiest year on record.
How Betsy compares
48,947 Top 3% higher than 97% of 17,726 names currently given to girls
Based on all-time total births among currently-ranked girls names. Names with fewer occurrences are grouped into wider buckets on the right.
Source U.S. Social Security Administration, national baby name data
How the numbers stack up
Betsy's all-time total is 128x the median girls name, and Olivia still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Betsy | Median girls name (Emerly) | #1 girls name (Olivia) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 48,947 | 382 | 567,345 |
| Peak-year births | 1,390 | 48 | 19,840 |
Betsy's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Divide Betsy's SSA record in two at 1953 and the more recent half accounts for 64% of all births, the earlier half the remaining 36%, consistent with a name still gaining ground rather than fading. Its calmest year was 1897, with only 10 births recorded -- set against the 1959 peak of 1,390, that's the full swing in one name's fortunes.
Betsy at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
1959
Current rank
#2,415
Active since
1880
Betsy popularity over time - girls
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1880–2025
- Peak year (1959)
- 1,390
- Annual births at peak, across 146 years of records
Betsy popularity over time - boys
10 total births recorded since 1942 (Betsy as boys' name)
Betsy by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1950s was Betsy's strongest decade.
10,561 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 22% of all-time use.
Betsy births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 166
1880s
166 births
- 1890s 173
1890s
173 births
- 1900s 189
1900s
189 births
- 1910s 841
1910s
841 births
- 1920s 2,551
1920s
2,551 births
- 1930s 3,929
1930s
3,929 births
- 1940s
1940s
6,980 births
- 1950s
1950s
10,561 births
- 1960s
1960s
8,558 births
- 1970s
1970s
5,461 births
- 1980s 4,059
1980s
4,059 births
- 1990s 2,014
1990s
2,014 births
- 2000s 1,805
2000s
1,805 births
- 2010s 1,204
2010s
1,204 births
- 2020s 456
2020s
456 births
What this shows Peak: 1950s at 10,561 births (22% of all-time use).
How Betsy compares to similarly-sized names
Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 girls names closest to Betsy's total volume
Betsy vs 15 similarly-sized girls names
Betsy by state
Where Betsy concentrates geographically, total births since 1880
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | New York | | 4,488 | 9.2% |
| #2 | Pennsylvania | | 3,636 | 7.4% |
| #3 | California | | 3,149 | 6.4% |
| #4 | North Carolina | | 3,018 | 6.2% |
| #5 | Ohio | | 2,964 | 6.1% |
| #6 | Texas | | 2,359 | 4.8% |
| #7 | Illinois | | 2,082 | 4.3% |
| #8 | Michigan | | 1,739 | 3.6% |
New York share of Betsy's total US births 9.2%
Even split
4,488 of 48,947 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 50 reporting states.
Betsy appears in 50 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Betsy? ▼
Betsy has been given to 48,947 babies in the U.S. since 1880, according to SSA data. Among girls, it ranks #2415 as of the latest data. 1,390 babies were born in 1959, its single highest year.
When was Betsy most popular? ▼
Betsy was most popular in the 1950s decade with 10,561 total births. The single peak year was 1959.
Where is Betsy most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Betsy are New York (4,488 births), Pennsylvania (3,636 births), California (3,149 births).
How long has the name Betsy been used? ▼
Records for Betsy go back to 1880, giving 146 years of history through 2025.
What names are similar to Betsy? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Betty, Beth, Bethany, Bettie, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for girls.
What to do with Betsy's data
- Betsy's decade-level peak was the 1950s (10,561 total births); usage has since declined to 456 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- New York records the most Betsys (4,488 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. New York names
- Weighing it against an alternative? Put two names side by side. Compare names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Betsy
Nearby Names Like Betsy
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Betsy
Betty Girl
#1012 1,001,238 births
Beth Girl
#3049 159,430 births
Bethany Girl
#725 100,902 births
Bettie Girl
#8443 38,395 births
Bette Girl
#8984 34,897 births
Compare Betsy side by side: Betsy vs Betty Betsy vs Beth Betsy vs Bethany
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Betsy
Marguerite #2414
94,022 births · Peak 1918
Ivie #2416
2,415 births · Peak 2025
Jean #2413
458,436 births · Peak 1927
Ellamae #2417
2,358 births · Peak 2021
Miamor #2412
865 births · Peak 2020
Annalisa #2418
5,975 births · Peak 2005
Zaia #2411
610 births · Peak 2023
Wednesday #2419
1,704 births · Peak 2023
Data Sources
Data as of June 2026. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA).
According to the Social Security Administration, this profile draws directly from the agency's public-use baby-name files (updated June 2026). See our methodology for the full extraction, aggregation, and privacy-suppression rules.
Primary: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names from Social Security Card Applications, National Data, 1880–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Betsy: #2415 Girls' Name - 48,947 Births, Peak 1959." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/betsy. Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Name Almanac is rendered directly from the Social Security Administration's public baby-name files, no number is typed in by an editor. This profile for Betsy draws directly on SSA national and state-level files, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.