Total births
1,001,238
Girls' name · since 1880
Betty
Betty has 1,001,238 recorded births since 1880 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 1930 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.
- #1012
- among girls today
- 1,001,238
- born since 1880
- 1930s
- peak decade
- 94%
- more common than other girls
Yes -- Betty is the #1012 most popular girls' name in the U.S. today, with 1,001,238 recorded since 1880.
Betty has 1,001,238 recorded births among girls since 1880, per the U.S. Social Security Administration, ranked #1012 as of the latest data, more common than 94% of girls, busiest in the 1930s -- see the year-by-year trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution below, all drawn directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1880 to 2025.
- #1012 among girls today
- 1,001,238 born since 1880
- 1930s peak decade
- 94% more common than other girls
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Betty is currently the #1012 girls' name in America, more common than 94% of girls - 1,001,238 born since 1880, peaking in the 1930s.
- #1012
- among girls today
- 1,001,238
- born since 1880
- 1930s
- peak decade
- 94%
- more common than other girls
Betty vs. every other girls name in current SSA rankings
#1012
of 17,726 girls in use
More common than 94% of names given to girls today.
1930s
Peak decade
30% of everyone ever named Betty was born in this single decade.
1930
Single peak year
38,240 babies were named Betty in 1930 - its busiest year on record.
How Betty compares
1,001,238 Top 0% higher than 100% 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
Betty's all-time total is 2,621x the median girls name, and Olivia still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Betty | Median girls name (Emerly) | #1 girls name (Olivia) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 1,001,238 | 382 | 567,345 |
| Peak-year births | 38,240 | 48 | 19,840 |
Betty's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting Betty's full recorded timeline at 1953, 13% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 87% in the earlier half -- the name was more prevalent in its earlier era than it is today. Its quietest year on record was 1881, with just 112 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 1930 peak of 38,240 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
Betty at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
1930
Current rank
#1,012
Active since
1880
Betty popularity over time - girls
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1880–2025
- Peak year (1930)
- 38,240
- Annual births at peak, across 146 years of records
Betty popularity over time - boys
3,619 total births recorded since 1904 (Betty as boys' name)
Betty by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1930s was Betty's strongest decade.
300,409 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 30% of all-time use.
Betty births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 1,519
1880s
1,519 births
- 1890s 3,196
1890s
3,196 births
- 1900s 7,921
1900s
7,921 births
- 1910s 44,894
1910s
44,894 births
- 1920s
1920s
283,096 births
- 1930s
1930s
300,409 births
- 1940s
1940s
194,623 births
- 1950s 103,204
1950s
103,204 births
- 1960s 38,397
1960s
38,397 births
- 1970s 11,708
1970s
11,708 births
- 1980s 5,163
1980s
5,163 births
- 1990s 2,638
1990s
2,638 births
- 2000s 1,446
2000s
1,446 births
- 2010s 1,744
2010s
1,744 births
- 2020s 1,280
2020s
1,280 births
What this shows Peak: 1930s at 300,409 births (30% of all-time use).
How Betty 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 Betty's total volume
Betty vs 15 similarly-sized girls names
Betty by state
Where Betty concentrates geographically, total births since 1880
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Pennsylvania | | 66,290 | 6.6% |
| #2 | Ohio | | 60,182 | 6.0% |
| #3 | Texas | | 54,581 | 5.5% |
| #4 | Illinois | | 49,019 | 4.9% |
| #5 | North Carolina | | 44,002 | 4.4% |
| #6 | Georgia | | 40,802 | 4.1% |
| #7 | New York | | 39,753 | 4.0% |
| #8 | Michigan | | 36,371 | 3.6% |
Pennsylvania share of Betty's total US births 6.6%
Even split
66,290 of 1,001,238 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 51 reporting states.
Betty appears in 51 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Betty? ▼
Betty has been given to 1,001,238 babies in the U.S. since 1880, according to SSA data. Among girls, it ranks #1012 as of the latest data. 38,240 babies were born in 1930, its single highest year.
When was Betty most popular? ▼
Betty was most popular in the 1930s decade with 300,409 total births. The single peak year was 1930.
Where is Betty most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Betty are Pennsylvania (66,290 births), Ohio (60,182 births), Texas (54,581 births).
How long has the name Betty been used? ▼
Records for Betty go back to 1880, giving 146 years of history through 2025.
What names are similar to Betty? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Beth, Bethany, Betsy, Bettie, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for girls.
What to do with Betty's data
- Betty's decade-level peak was the 1930s (300,409 total births); usage has since declined to 1,280 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- Pennsylvania records the most Bettys (66,290 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. Pennsylvania 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 Betty
Nearby Names Like Betty
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Betty
Beth Girl
#3049 159,430 births
Bethany Girl
#725 100,902 births
Betsy Girl
#2415 48,947 births
Bettie Girl
#8443 38,395 births
Bette Girl
#8984 34,897 births
Compare Betty side by side: Betty vs Beth Betty vs Bethany Betty vs Betsy
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Betty
Melani #1011
5,912 births · Peak 2020
Esperanza #1013
20,849 births · Peak 2000
Savanna #1010
32,974 births · Peak 2006
Nori #1014
3,028 births · Peak 2023
Carla #1009
150,390 births · Peak 1962
Kenia #1015
10,216 births · Peak 2016
Sariah #1008
9,594 births · Peak 2011
Baylee #1016
21,741 births · Peak 1997
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. "Betty: #1012 Girls' Name - 1,001,238 Births, Peak 1930." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/betty. 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 Betty 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.