Bets

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Bets

Gender: Feminine
Language: English
Etymology:
Bets is a nickname for the name Elizabeth, perhaps as a combination of the nicknames Bet and Bess. Elizabeth is the English form of the Hebrew name, Elisheva, or Elisheba. Originally it meant “My God is Bountiful,” “God of Plenty,” “Consecrated to God,” “Oath of God,” “God is Satisfaction,” or “God is Perfection.”

History:
Elizabeth did not become common in England until the 15th century, probably originally pronounced with a hard ending “t” rather than a soft “th” sound. Bets was probably at its most popular around the 16th century, and was soon supplanted by Betty and Bess, but was brought back in the 18th century in the form of Betsy.

Pronunciation: bets.

Diminutive: Betsy, Betsie, Betsey.

Popularity:
Percentage from the 1990 U.S. Census:
less than 0.001 % of females named Bets

Popularity of Bets:
Popularity (for newborns):
In the United States...
1880-2004: N/A

Selected Sources:
The Social Security Administration Actuarial Note 139 (www.ssa.gov) - For popularity stats 1880-Present
The 1880 U.S. Census- For popularity stats 1850-1880, and other information (it is available on-line at www.familysearch.org)