Bette
A French-looking pet form of Elizabeth, from the Hebrew Elisheva, "my God is an oath." It is also used for Bettina and Betty.
Bette in 2025
Bette was given to 8 babies in the United States in 2025, making it the 18,711th most popular name of the year. That is roughly one in every 414,418 babies born.
The history of Bette
Bette reached its highest point in 1924, when 1,742 babies were given the name, ranking 257th that year. Its best-ever ranking was 256th, in 1923.
Across the 130 years of records since 1896, 34,919 babies have been named Bette. Half of them were born before 1932, which places the name's centre of gravity with the Silent Generation.
Bette by decade
| Decade | Babies named Bette | Best rank |
|---|---|---|
| 1890s | 15 | 2,447 |
| 1900s | 108 | 1,491 |
| 1910s | 2,288 | 419 |
| 1920s | 13,285 | 256 |
| 1930s | 7,394 | 370 |
| 1940s | 7,039 | 420 |
| 1950s | 3,438 | 668 |
| 1960s | 890 | 1,480 |
| 1970s | 181 | 3,664 |
| 1980s | 99 | 6,697 |
| 1990s | 45 | 10,946 |
| 2000s | 17 | 22,510 |
| 2010s | 65 | 13,434 |
| 2020s | 55 | 12,530 |
Where Bette is heading
Bette has fallen 11% over the past decade, from 9 babies in 2015 to 8 in 2025.
That is less than 5% of its 1924 peak — Bette is now a rare name in the United States.
Names like Bette
Names that rose and fell at the same time as Bette.