Show ContentsBet History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Bet is an ancient Anglo-Saxon name that is derived from one of a number of personal names. The surname Bet is usually explained as a metronymic derivative of the female personal name Beatrice, or less often, Elizabeth. 1

However, the name is undoubtedly occasionally derived from the male personal name Bartholomew, which also took the variant forms Bertram or Bertelmew. The surname Bet may also be a "local" type surname which means a dweller by the hollows.

Early Origins of the Bet family

The surname Bet was first found in Norfolk, where they held a family seat from ancient times, long before the Norman Conquest in 1066.

"One of the principal stocks of the old and characteristic Norfolk name of Betts included the family that possessed, in the 15th and 16th centuries, the manors of Hastings Hall and Whitefoot in Irmingland. This name is also well represented in Lincolnshire, where it usually takes the form of Bett; it is also present, though less numerous, in the other east coast counties of Suffolk and Kent." 2

Early History of the Bet family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Bet research. Another 178 words (13 lines of text) covering the years 1200, 1379, 1480, 1500, 1570, 1576, 1581, 1590, 1642, 1643, 1646, 1647, 1695, 1743, 1770, 1905 and 1912 are included under the topic Early Bet History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Bet Spelling Variations

Bet has been spelled many different ways. Before English spelling became standardized over the last few hundred years, spelling variations in names were a common occurrence. As the English language changed in the Middle Ages, absorbing pieces of Latin and French, as well as other languages, the spelling of people's names also changed considerably, even over a single lifetime. Many variations of the name Bet have been found, including Betts, Bets, Bettes, Bett, Bette and others.

Early Notables of the Bet family

Notables of the family at this time include

  • John Bettes (d. 1570?), an English miniature painter, commonly stated to have been a pupil of Nicholas Hilliard. "Bettes painted a miniature in oils of Queen Elizabeth, which is said to have been high...
  • John Betts (d. 1695), was an English physician and son of "Edward Betts by his wife Dorothy, daughter of John Venables of Rapley in Hampshire. He was born at Winchester, and educated there in grammar...


United States Bet migration to the United States +

In an attempt to escape the chaos experienced in England, many English families boarded overcrowded and diseased ships sailing for the shores of North America and other British colonies. Those families hardy enough, and lucky enough, to make the passage intact were rewarded with land and a social environment less prone to religious and political persecution. Many of these families became important contributors to the young colonies in which they settled. Early immigration and passenger lists have documented some of the first Bets to arrive on North American shores:

Bet Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • Johannes Bet, who landed in New York in 1709 3

Contemporary Notables of the name Bet (post 1700) +

  • Aldo Bet (1949-2023), Italian professional footballer


The Bet Motto +

The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.

Motto: Ostendo non ostento
Motto Translation: I show, not boast.


  1. Arthur, William , An Etymological Dictionary of Family and Christian Names. London: 1857. Print
  2. Guppy, Henry Brougham, Homes of Family Names in Great Britain. 1890. Print.
  3. Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)


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