Betty or Bettie is a

name A name is a term used for identification by an external observer. They can identify a class or category of things, or a single thing, either uniquely, or within a given context. The entity identified by a name is called its referent. A personal ...

, a common

diminutive A diminutive is a root word that has been modified to convey a slighter degree of its root meaning, either to convey the smallness of the object or quality named, or to convey a sense of intimacy or endearment. A (abbreviated ) is a word-formati ...

for the

names A name is a term used for identification by an external observer. They can identify a class or category of things, or a single thing, either uniquely, or within a given context. The entity identified by a name is called its referent. A persona ...

Bethany and Elizabeth. In Latin America, it is also a common diminutive for the given name

Beatriz Beatriz (, ) is a Spanish, Galician and Portuguese female first name. It corresponds to the Latin name Beatrix and the English and Italian name Beatrice. The name in Latin means 'brings joy' and in other languages also means 'she who brings oth ...

, the Spanish and Portuguese form of the Latin name Beatrix and the English name

Beatrice Beatrice may refer to: * Beatrice (given name) Places In the United States * Beatrice, Alabama, a town * Beatrice, Humboldt County, California, a locality * Beatrice, Georgia, an unincorporated community * Beatrice, Indiana, an unincorporated ...

. In the 17th and 18th centuries, it was more often a diminutive of Bethia.

Notable people

Athletes

Betty Cuthbert Elizabeth Alyse Cuthbert, (20 April 1938 – 6 August 2017) was an Australian athlete and a four-time Olympic champion. She was nicknamed Australia's "Golden Girl". During her career, she set world records for 60 metres, 100 yards, 200 metres ...

(1938–2017), Australian sprinter and Olympic champion *

Betty Jameson Elizabeth May Jameson (May 9, 1919 – February 7, 2009) was an American professional golfer. She was one of the thirteen founders of the Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) in 1950. She won three major championships and a total of thi ...

(1919–2009), American Hall-of-Fame golfer and one of the founders of the LPGA * Betty McKilligan (born 1949), Canadian pairs figure skater *

Betty Nuthall Betty May Nuthall Shoemaker (née Nuthall; 23 May 1911 – 8 November 1983) was an English tennis player. Known for her powerful forehand, according to Wallis Myers of ''The Daily Telegraph'' and the ''Daily Mail'', Nuthall was ranked in the wor ...

(1911–1983), English tennis player * Betty Pariso, American bodybuilder * Betty Stöve (born 1945), Dutch tennis player * Betty Ann Grubb Stuart (born 1950), American tennis player * Betty Uber (1906–1983), English badminton and tennis player

Journalists and media personalities

* Betty Elizalde (1940–2018), Argentine journalist and broadcaster * Betty Kennedy (1926–2017), Canadian broadcaster, journalist and author * Betty Nguyen (born 1974), American news anchor

Performing artists and fashion models

Betty Alberge Betty Alberge (22 January 1922 – 18 May 1991) was an English theatre, radio and television actress, with an extensive career which ran from the late 1930s to the 1980s. She was best known for playing Corner Shop owner Florrie Lindley in the so ...

(1922–1991), British actress * Betty Arvaniti (born 1939), Greek actress *

Betty Boije Betty Natalie Boije af Gennäs (14 February 1822 - 14 November 1854), was a Finnish (originally Swedish) opera and concert singer (contralto) and composer. She was one of eight children of the Swedish nobleman Klas Otto Boije af Gennäs and Mari ...

(1822–1854), Finnish-Swedish contralto and composer * Betty Boo (born 1970), stage name of English singer and songwriter Alison Moira Clarkson * Betty Bronson (1906–1971), American actress * Betty G, a stage name of an Ethiopian singer and songwriter Bruktawit Getahun *

Betty Buckley Betty Lynn Buckley (born July 3, 1947) is an American actress and singer. Buckley is the winner of a Tony Award, and was nominated for two Daytime Emmy Awards, two Grammy Awards, and an Olivier Award. In 2012, she was inducted into the American T ...

(born 1947), American actress * Betty Burbridge (1895–1987), American actress *

Betty Carter Betty Carter (born Lillie Mae Jones; May 16, 1929 – September 26, 1998) was an American jazz singer known for her improvisational technique, scatting and other complex musical abilities that demonstrated her vocal talent and imaginative inter ...

(Lillie Mae Jones) (1929–1998), American jazz singer * Betty Cody (1921–2014), Canadian-born American country music singer * Bette Davis (1908–1989) American actress * Bettie de Jong (born 1933), Dutch rehearsal director and dancer * Betty Deland (1831–1882), Swedish actress * Betty Driver (1920–2011), British actress and singer * Betty Everett (1939–2001), American soul singer * Betty Faria (born 1941), Brazilian actress * Betty Garrett (1919–2011), American actress, comedian, singer and dancer * Betty Grable (1916–1973), American actress, singer, dancer and pin-up girl *

Betty Harlafti Betty Harlafti (Greek language, Greek: Μπέττυ Χαρλαύτη) is a Greek contemporary singer, a classically trained mezzo-soprano and performs a crossover repertoire in several languages. Often referred to as “''the voice of Mikis The ...

, Greek mezzo-soprano and singer * Betty Harris (born 1939), American soul singer * Betty Hutton (1921–2007), American actress and singer * Betty Kelly (born 1944), American singer, member of Martha and the Vandellas * Betty Knox (Alice Elizabeth Peden) (1906–1963), part of Wilson, Keppel and Betty, a British music hall and vaudeville act *

Betty Kuuskemaa Marie-Elisabeth "Betty" Kuuskemaa (born Marie-Elisabeth Jõggis; 28 January 1879 – 19 December 1966) was an Estonian stage and film actress whose long career spanned over sixty years. Early life and education Betty Kuuskemaa was born Marie-Eli ...

(1879–1966), Estonian actress * Betty Moschona (1927–2006), Greek actress * Bettie Page (1923–2008), American pin-up and fetish model *

Betty Stockfeld Betty Stockfeld (15 January 190527 January 1966), often misspelled "Stockfield", was an Australian film actress. She appeared mostly in British and French films. Betty was the daughter of Sydney businessman Harry Hooper Stockfeld and Susan Eli ...

(1905–1966), Australian actress * Betty White (1922–2021), American actress, best known for '' Life with Elizabeth'', '' The Mary Tyler Moore Show'' and ''

The Golden Girls ''The Golden Girls'' is an American sitcom created by Susan Harris that aired on NBC from September 14, 1985, to May 9, 1992, with a total of 180 half-hour episodes, spanning seven seasons. With an ensemble cast starring Bea Arthur, Betty White ...

'' * Betty Who (born 1991), Australian-American singer and musician *

Betty Wright Bessie Regina Norris (December 21, 1953 – May 10, 2020), better known by her stage name Betty Wright, was an American soul and R&B singer, songwriter and background vocalist. Beginning her professional career in the late 1960s as a teena ...

(1953–2020), American soul and R&B singer and songwriter * Betty (singer) (born 2003), Armenian child singer

Politicians and activists

Betty Apiafi Betty Jocelyne Okagua - Apiafi (born 19 February 1962) is a Nigerian politician, economist, retired banker and educationist. Apiafi was elected to the Nigerian Senate for Rivers West Senatorial District in 2019. She has also served as a Hou ...

(born 1962), Nigerian MP and educator * Betty de Boer (born 1971), Dutch politician * Betty Boothroyd (born 1929), British MP and former Speaker of the House of Commons * Betty Friedan (1921–2006), American feminist and author of ''The Feminine Mystique'' *

Betty Hall Beatrice Perin Barker Hall (March 18, 1921 – April 26, 2018) was an American politician from the state of New Hampshire. Hall served in the New Hampshire House of Representatives for a total of 28 years, serving non-consecutively from 1970 unt ...

(1921–2018), American politician * Bettie Hewes (1924–2001), Canadian politician * Betty Komp (born 1949), American politician * Betty Ray McCain (1931-2022), American politician * Betty McCollum (born 1954), American politician * Betty Shabazz (1934–1997), American educator and civil rights advocate, wife of Malcolm X * Betty Williams (Nobel laureate) (born 1943), North Irish peace activist *

Betty Williams (politician) Betty Helena Williams (née Williams; born 31 July 1944) is a Welsh Labour politician, who was the Member of Parliament for Conwy from 1997 to 2010. Early life Williams was born in St David's Hospital, Bangor, Gwynedd, Wales. She attended Ysgol ...

(born 1944), Welsh politician and MP

Visual artists

* Bettie Cilliers-Barnard (1914–2010), South African abstract artist *

Betty Curnow Elizabeth Jamaux Curnow (née Le Cren; 31 October 1911 – 24 September 2005), commonly known as Betty Curnow, was a New Zealand artist. Background Born in Timaru, New Zealand, Curnow was the daughter of Charles John Le Cren and Daisy Le Cre ...

(1911–2005), New Zealand painter and printmaker *

Betty Muffler Betty Muffler is an Aboriginal Australian artist and ngangkari (healer). She is a senior artist at Iwantja Arts, in Indulkana in Aṉangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara (APY Lands), South Australia, known for a series of works on large linen ca ...

(born 1944), Aboriginal Australian artist and healer * Betty Parsons (1900–1982), American artist, art dealer, and collector

People in other fields

* Madeleine Passot "Betty" (1914–2009), French Resistance agent * Acid Betty (born 1977), American drag queen * Betty Ang, Filipina businesswoman *

Betty Bentley Beaumont Betty Beaumont (, Bentley; 9 August 1828 – 6 September 1892) was a 19th-century British author, merchant, cotton factor and hotel owner. After immigrating to the U.S., she became a successful merchant of Woodville, Mississippi. Beaumont was th ...

(1828–1892), British author, merchant * Betty Ford (1918–2011), First Lady of the United States, wife of Gerald Ford *

Betty Jackson Betty Jackson, (born 24 June 1949) is an English fashion designer based in London, England. She was born in Lancashire. In 2007, her success in British fashion was recognised with first an MBE in the Queen's Birthday Honours 1987 and later wi ...

(born 1949), British fashion designer * Betty Joseph (1917–2013), British psychoanalyst *

Betty Klimenko Betty Saunders-Klimenko (born 1959) is an Australian businessperson and motorsport team owner who runs the Erebus Motorsport squad in the Supercars Championship. In 2017, she became the first female team owner to win the Bathurst 1000. Klimenko ...

(born 1959), Australian businessperson and motorsport team owner *

Betty Linderoth Betty Linderoth, née Cedergren (Stockholm, 13 February 1822 – Stockholm, 10 December 1900), was a Swedish watchmaker. Betty Linderoth was the daughter of a watchmaker and educated as her father's apprentice and Journeyman. When she was mocked ...

(1822–1900), Swedish clockmaker * Betty MacDonald (1908–1958), American author * Betty Mitchell (1896–1976), Canadian theatre director and educator * Betty Siegel (1931–2020), American author, and president of Kennesaw State University * Betty (slave) (c. 1738–1795), one of Martha Washington's slaves * Bettie, a black cook at the Battle of the Alamo - see

List of Texian survivors of the Battle of the Alamo When the Battle of the Alamo ended at approximately 6:30 a.m. on March 6, 1836, fewer than fifty of the almost 250 Texians who had occupied the Alamo Mission in San Antonio, Texas, were alive.Lord, ''A Time to Stand'', p. 166. The conflict, a ...

* Lady Betty (Lady Elizabeth Hastings) (1682–1739), philanthropist * Lady Betty ( Elizabeth Sugrue) (c. 1740/1750–1807), Irish executioner

Fictional characters

* Betty, a character in the 1991 American comedy movie '' What About Bob?'' * Betty (Naked Brothers Band), in the TV series '' The Naked Brothers Band.'' * Betty, the title character of the comic strip ''Betty'' (1920–1943) by Charles A. Voight * Betty, the title character of '' Yo soy Betty, la fea'', a Colombian soap opera, basis for the US TV series ''Ugly Betty'' * Betty, the antagonist of the comedy film ''

Kung Pow! Enter the Fist ''Kung Pow! Enter the Fist'' is a 2002 American martial arts comedy film that parodies Hong Kong action cinema. Written, directed by and starring Steve Oedekerk, it uses footage from the 1976 Hong Kong martial arts film '' Tiger & Crane Fists'' ...

'' (2002) * Atomic Betty or 'Betty Barrett', Cartoon Network-Teletoon's first child superhero *

Boxcar Betty __NOTOC__ Ben Lewis Reitman M.D. (1879–1943) was an American anarchist and physician to the poor ("the hobo doctor"). He is best remembered today as one of radical Emma Goldman's lovers. Reitman was a flamboyant, eccentric character. Emma Goldm ...

(Boxcar Bertha), a fictional hobo and Industrial Workers of the World organizer *

Brickhouse Betty ''Night Calls'' is an American sexuality-oriented television series on Playboy TV that was broadcast from 1995 to 2007. Premise ''Night Calls'' is a live phone-in program where listeners are invited to call in and discuss sexual issues—usuall ...

, the title character from the animated cartoon series featured on Playboy TV and the Internet *

Betty Blue ''Betty Blue'' (french: 37°2 le matin, lit=37.2°C in the morning) is a 1986 French erotic psychological drama film directed by Jean-Jacques Beineix, based on the 1985 novel ''37°2 le matin'' by Philippe Djian. The film stars Béatrice Dalle ...

, the main character of the film ''Betty Blue'' *

Betty Boop Betty Boop is an animated cartoon character created by Max Fleischer, with help from animators including Grim Natwick.Pointer (2017) She originally appeared in the ''Talkartoon'' and ''Betty Boop'' film series, which were produced by Fleischer ...

, a Paramount Pictures cartoon character *

Betty Brant Elizabeth Brant is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics, usually in stories featuring the superhero Spider-Man. She is the personal secretary of J. Jonah Jameson at the ''Daily Bugle'', and served as b ...

, a Marvel Comics supporting character * Betty Burke, a character from '' Power Rangers Beast Morphers'' * Betty Childs-Skolnic, a character in the '' Revenge of the Nerds'' film series * Betty Cooper, a comic book character published by Archie Comics * Betty Draper, a character in the TV series ''Mad Men.'' * Betty Eagleton, a character in the British soap opera '' Emmerdale'' * Betty Gordon, the protagonist of a series of children's novels * Betty Kane, now known as Bette Kane * Betty Lou, a muppet character on '' Sesame Street'' *

Betty Rizzo ''Grease'' is a musical with music, lyrics, and a book by Jim Jacobs and Warren Casey. Named after the 1950s United States working-class youth subculture known as greasers, the musical is set in 1959 at fictional Rydell High School (based on T ...

, a character in the film '' Grease'' (1978), played by Stockard Channing * Betty Ross, Bruce Banner's love interest in the Hulk comics * Betty Rubble, a ''Flintstones'' character * Betty Slug, the lead character in the Canadian comic strip '' Betty'' * Betty Smith, a character in the TV series '' Littlest Pet Shop'' * Betty Spencer, the wife of Frank Spencer in the British sitcom '' Some Mothers do 'ave 'em'' *

Betty Suarez Beatriz U. Suarez is the protagonist of the American comedy-drama series ''Ugly Betty''. She is portrayed by America Ferrera, who won a 2007 Golden Globe Award and 2007 Screen Actors Guild Award for her portrayal of the character, as well as the ...

, the title character and heroine of the TV series ''Ugly Betty'' * Betty Sutton, a character in the 1995 American romantic drama movie '' A Walk in the Clouds'' * Betty Lou Who, a character in the 2000 American Christmas fantasy comedy movie '' How the Grinch Stole Christmas'' * Betty Williams (''Coronation Street''), in the British soap opera ''

Coronation Street ''Coronation Street'' is an English soap opera created by Granada Television and shown on ITV since 9 December 1960. The programme centres around a cobbled, terraced street in Weatherfield, a fictional town based on inner-city Salford. Origi ...

References

{{given name English feminine given names English given names Hypocorisms