Name of the day: Betty
A top ten favorite a century ago is gearing up for a revival in the 21st century. The name Betty is both classy and sassy. An edgy vintage favorite with a lot of history behind her.
Darling Diminutives
In 1921 Betty found herself to be a top 10 favorite coming in at #8. From 1928-1934 Betty was one of the most popular girls names in the United States, only second to Mary. She held strong in the top 20 until 1951. From that point on, she found herself on a steady decline until leaving the top 1000 completely in 1996.
While not as familiar in modern day use as Eliza, Elsie or now pop culture powerhouse Eilish, Betty is still a recognizable name. In 2020, 194 girls were given the name Betty. Throughout history Betty wasn’t just used as a nickname to Elizabeth but also Beatrice, Bethany, and Bethia but we don’t see these final two full names being revived anytime soon.
I think 2022 will be the year of the nickname showdown. Who will come out on top, Betty or Lilibet? Let us know who you place your bet’s on in the comments.
Supermarket Staple
In the 20’s Betty wasn’t just a popular name in the public but was the name of an up and coming grocery store staple. Released in 1921, General Mills created the face behind the food label, Betty Crocker. The fictional character, paired with an all-American name was developed as a way to provide a personalized feel to the iconic brand.
Pin-up Glamour
Jazz Age flapper Betty Boop (modeled after Clara Bow) was a popular image in the 1930’s as was actress Betty Grable leaving this name feeling stuck in the WWII era. Mrs. Gable stared in 42 films during the 30’s and 40’s
Grable wasn’t the only notable actress of the 40’s bearing the name. Change the “Y’ to an “E” and you get actress Bette Davis. With a six decade career under her belt, Bette Davis became an Oscar-winning actress, and WWII entertainer. She made it a point to take time out of her busy schedule to co-found and volunteer at the Hollywood Canteen, an entertainment venue for the servicemen. Bette later earned the Distinguished Civilian Service Medal, the U.S. Department of Defense’s highest civilian honor for her time.
Fighting Feminists
Betty Friedan was an American writer, activist and feminist being one of the leading figures of the Women’s movement. Her book The Feminine Mystique released in 1963 is often credited as sparking the second wave of feminism. In 1966, she co-founded and first president of the National Organization of Women rallying for gender equality within the political system. Betty also organized the nationwide Women’s Strike for Equality taking place on the 50th anniversary of the 19th amendment granting women the right to vote.
Betty Ford served as the first lady of the United States from 1974-1977 as the wife of President Gerald Ford. She was known to be a supporter of the Equal Rights Amendment and was also a leader of the Women’s Rights Movement advocating on topics such as equal pay, abortion rights, gun control and raising awareness of addiction in the 70’s by opening her own substance abuse residential treatment center. Subsequently becoming known as one of the most active first ladies in community history.
Betty Shabazz, also known as Betty X (the wife of Malcolm X) was an American educator and civil rights advocate. While she tried to maintain a private life she continued to advocate for her late husband message and keep his legacy alive.
A Somber Day in January
January 17th celebrates the lives of two legendary Betty’s. An actress and an author.
Actress, comedian and entertainment industry pioneer, Betty White was born on January 17, 1922 in Oak Park, Illinois. She is arguably the most iconic Betty of all time. Betty White had an impressive career spanning over a record breaking 90 years. The legendary entertainer passed away on December 31, 2021, only two and a half weeks shy of her 100th birthday. You can read more about Betty White’s legacy in our blog Betty White’s 100th Birthday.
American author Betty Smith was best known for her semi-autobiographical novel A Tree Grows in Brooklyn published in 1943. The book was adapted to film two years later. Smith passed away on January 17, 1972 at the age of 75.
Television Timeline
The name Betty has made it’s way on to some of the most watched television shows in history providing some fandom favoritism to this vintage find.
Betty Rubble was a fictional character on the animated series The Flintstones which debuted in 1959.
Commonly known by her surname, Betty was the first name of Rizzo in the 1978 film Grease.
Betty DeVille was the mother of twins Phil and Lil on the Nickelodeon series Rugrats debuting in 1991.
In 2006 America Ferrera took on the lead role of Betty Suarez in the television series Ugly Betty.
The following year January Jones took on the role of Betty Draper in the television series Mad Men. The series ran from July 2007 - May 2015.
Betty Cooper is the name of the lead female protagonist in the television teen drama Riverdale. The show is based off of the comic book series Archie Comics originally published in December 1941.
Modern Day Use
Ryan Reynold’s has admitted having a longtime crush on Betty White which makes us believe she was the inspiration behind his youngest daughter’s name, however there hasn’t been any confirmation. Reynold’s and wife Blake Lively welcomed daughter Betty in 2019. She was one of only 160 girls given the name that year. Her name was revealed the year following her birth by singer Taylor Swift in her song “Betty” featured on her album Folklore. The song also included Reynolds older daughters names Inez and James.
While there are many beloved diminutives of Elizabeth, there aren’t as many that are deeply rooted in history as Betty clearly is. Time will tell if the 100 year rule applies to Betty but one thing is for sure, this is one versatile name that will carry strong throughout all generations of life. Betty is one name we truly hope to see wore more in this lifetime.