Show ContentsBetty History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Early Origins of the Betty family

The surname Betty was first found in Northumberland where the name was derived from the name of an ancestor as in the son of Beatrice. An "abbreviation of the female name Beatrix." [1] The name appeared here and in Lowland Scotland. "The following variants of this surname are" found on the Border: Baetie, Baitie, Baittie, Batie, Baty, Batye, Baytie, and Bette." [2]

Early History of the Betty family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Betty research. Another 76 words (5 lines of text) covering the years 1296, 1597, 1603, 1735, 1771, 1803 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Betty History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Betty Spelling Variations

The name Betty, appeared in many references, and from time to time, the surname was spelt Beattie, Beatty, Beaty, Beatie, Betay, Bety and others.

Early Notables of the Betty family

Another 46 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Betty Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Betty Ranking

In the United States, the name Betty is the 13,107th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. [3]

Ireland Migration of the Betty family to Ireland

Some of the Betty family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 61 words (4 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


United States Betty migration to the United States +

The New World beckoned as many of the settlers in Ireland, known as the Scotch/Irish, became disenchanted. They sailed aboard the armada of sailing ships known as the "White Sails" which plied the stormy Atlantic. Some called them, less romantically, the "coffin ships." Amongst the early settlers who could be considered kinsmen of the Betty family, or who bore a variation of the surname Betty were

Betty Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
  • Arthur Betty, who arrived in Maryland in 1678 [4]
Betty Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • Edward Betty, who landed in Virginia in 1702 [4]
  • Thomas Betty, who landed in Virginia in 1714 [4]
  • Francis Betty, who landed in Virginia in 1716 [4]
  • Thomas Betty, who landed in North Carolina in 1748 [4]
  • Mr Betty, who arrived in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1772 [4]
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Betty Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Richard Betty, aged 45, who arrived in New York in 1812 [4]

Australia Betty migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Betty Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
  • Henry S. Betty, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Caroline" in 1839 [5]
  • William Betty, aged 18, a miner, who arrived in South Australia in 1857 aboard the ship "Marion" [6]
  • Charles Betty, aged 25, a miner, who arrived in South Australia in 1857 aboard the ship "Sumner"
  • Miss Ann Betty, (b. 1844), aged 18, Cornish housemaid departing from Soton on 4th June 1862 aboard the ship "Accrington" arriving in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia on 24th August 1862 [7]
  • Miss Harriet Betty, Cornish housemaid departing from Liverpool on 3rd April 1865 aboard the ship "Oceanica" arriving in Hobsons Bay, Port Phillip, Victoria, Australia on 11th July 1865 [7]

New Zealand Betty migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Betty Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century
  • Mrs. Mary Betty, (b. 1838), aged 38, Cornish settler departing on 23rd September 1876 aboard the ship "Hurunui" arriving in Wellington, New Zealand on 18th February 1877 [8]
  • Miss Mary Betty, (b. 1861), aged 15, Cornish servant departing on 23rd September 1876 aboard the ship "Hurunui" arriving in Wellington, New Zealand on 18th February 1877 [8]
  • Mr. Richard Betty, (b. 1867), aged 9, Cornish settler departing on 23rd September 1876 aboard the ship "Hurunui" arriving in Wellington, New Zealand on 18th February 1877 [8]
  • Miss Sarah Betty, (b. 1865), aged 11, Cornish settler departing on 23rd September 1876 aboard the ship "Hurunui" arriving in Wellington, New Zealand on 18th February 1877 [8]
  • Mr. William Betty, (b. 1838), aged 38, Cornish farm labourer departing on 23rd September 1876 aboard the ship "Hurunui" arriving in Wellington, New Zealand on 18th February 1877 [8]
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Betty (post 1700) +

  • Charles Garrett "Garry" Betty (1957-2007), American President and CEO of EarthLink (1996-2007)
  • William Henry West Betty (1791-1874), nicknamed "Master Betty", an English child actor of the early nineteenth century, also known as "the young Roscius" [9]
  • Sam Betty (b. 1986), English rugby union player for Worcester Warriors (2011-)
  • Sheila Betty Mercier (1919-2019), née Rix, an English actress, of stage and television, best known for her role as Annie Sugden in Emmerdale for over 20 years
  • Helen Betty Halyard (b. 1950), American politician, Workers League Candidate for Vice President of the United States, 1984, 1988; Workers League Candidate for President of the United States, 1992 [10]
  • Betty Marion White Ludden (1922-2021), American five time Primetime Emmy Award, two Daytime Emmy Award winning actress and comedian, her career spanned seven decades, the first woman to produce a sitcom (Life with Elizabeth), which contributed to her being named honorary Mayor of Hollywood in 1955, best known for her roles as Sue Ann Nivens on the CBS sitcom The Mary Tyler Moore Show (1973–1977), Rose Nylund on the NBC sitcom The Golden Girls (1985–1992), and Elka Ostrovsky on the TV Land sitcom Hot in Cleveland (2010–2015), inducted into the Television Hall of Fame in 1995
  • Dr. Betty Havens OC (d. 2005), Canadian recipient of an honorary degree from the University of Waterloo in 1994, the Commemorative Golden Jubilee Medal of Queen Elizabeth II in 2002, a Distinguished Service Award from the Canadian Health Services Research Foundation in 2003 and, in February 2005, the Order of Canada
  • Betty Sue Hearnes (1927-2023), née Cooper, American Democratic politician from Missouri, Member of the Missouri House of Representatives (1979-1989), First Lady of Missouri (1965-1973)
  • Betty TackaBerry "Tack" Blake (1920-2015), American last surviving member of the first training class (Class 43-W-1 at Sweetwater, Texas, on April 24, 1943) of the Women Airforce Service Pilots paramilitary aviation service
  • Betty A. Reardon (1929-2023), American teacher and the founder and director of the Peace Education Center and Peace Education Graduate Degree Program at Teachers College, Columbia University


The Betty 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: Lumen coeleste sequamur
Motto Translation: May we follow heavenly inspiration.


  1. Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
  2. Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
  3. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  4. 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)
  5. State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) CAROLINE 1839. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1839Caroline.htm
  6. South Australian Register 1857. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) Marion 1857. Retrieved http://www.theshipslist.com/ships/australia/marion1857.shtml
  7. Cornwall Online Parish Clerks. (Retrieved 3rd May 2018). Retrieved from http://www.opc-cornwall.org/Resc/pdfs/emigration_australia_victoria.pdf
  8. Cornwall Online Parish Clerks. (Retrieved 2018, April 30). Emigrants to Wellington 1872-1880 [PDF]. Retrieved from http://www.opc-cornwall.org/Resc/pdfs/emigration_nz_wellington.pdf
  9. Wikisource contributors. "Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900." Wikisource . Wikisource , 4 Jun. 2018. Web. 17 June. 2019
  10. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, November 6) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html


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