Bettina: Baby Name of the Day

The baby name Bettina comes from a fascinating evolution. We shorten names, then lengthen the short form, and then change them even more.

Thanks to Sarah for suggesting our much-morphed Baby Name of the Day.

WHAT DOES THE NAME BETTINA MEAN?

At three syllables, the baby name Bettina doesn’t seem like the short form of a longer name.

As it happens, Bettina is not the short form of one longer name. It’s the short form of two longer names.

First up: Elizabeth or Elisabeth. From the Hebrew name Elisheva, it means “my God is an oath.” In the New Testament, she’s the mother of John the Baptist, making this name a significant and enduring choice.

Since we’re used to thinking of Betsy, Betty, and Bette as diminutives for Elizabeth, Bettina doesn’t feel like a stretch. 

It’s typically considered of German origin. And in the German language? That TH is just a T. So lengthen Elisabet to Elisabettina, which is just way too long … and all of a sudden, Bettina makes sense.

Then there’s the Italian Benedetta, a feminine form of Benedict. In Italian, Benedict becomes Benedetto, so the feminine form is logical. Contract Benedetta to Bett and Bettina, again, follows.

Names like the Spanish Benita and French Babette come from the name Elizabeth or a feminine form of Benedict, too, so it all fits. Bettine is sometimes heard in Norway and other Scandinavian countries.

Despite these connections to established formal names, Bettina is much more likely to be given as an independent name than a nickname, at least in English-speaking countries.

FAMOUS FIGURES NAMED BETTINA

Plenty of women have answered to Bettina:

• The voice actress who originally played Rainbow Brite was a Bettina.
• Ray Bradbury gave the name to one of his daughters.
• Early French supermodel Simone Bodin took Bettina as her professional name, and became an early Givenchy model.

It pops up as a first name in the history books, too.

Back in fourteenth century Italy, legal scholar and professor Giovanni d’Andrea taught at the University of Bologna, and arranged for both of his daughters to study law there, too. Novella d’Andrea taught at her alma mater. Bettina married another legal scholar, a professor at the University of Padua, and joined him there as his colleague.

Born Elisabeth Catharina Ludovica Magdalena, the Countess of Arnim became a writer, artist, and social activist during the nineteenth century. Her circle of friends included Beethoven and Goethe, as well as other creatives. They called her Bettina.

In 1847, a group of German immigrants came to Texas and founded a utopian community named in honor of the Countess. The settlement of Bettina didn’t last, but it’s a quirky, optimistic footnote for the name.

BETTINA ROTHSCHILD

Then there are the Rothschilds, billionaire bankers and generous philanthropists.

The current generation includes Nina Burr – born Bettina. Her mother was Bettina Rothschild Looram, and her grandparents were the Baron and Baroness Alphonse and Clarice de Rothschild, originally from Vienna.

Their family tree also includes Bettina Caroline de Rothschild, born in 1858 in Paris. She was part of the French branch of the family, and married an Austrian cousin. She may have been named after her grandmother, Betty.

Several of the Bettinas have been big in the world of the arts, beginning with Betty. Nina serves as a trustee of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, responsible for a large bequest from the Rothschild family’s collection of jewels and artwork to the museum’s permanent exhibits.

HOW POPULAR IS THE NAME BETTINA?

The baby name Bettina is out of favor pretty across Europe and the English-speaking world.

In the US, it appeared in the Top 1000 many years between 1945 and 1981, but it never entered the Top 700. 

Bettina’s peak popularity in the US coincides with the success of Tina as a girl’s name. But the most popular girl’s names ending in Tina were Christina and Kristina.

The name’s popularity in Germany and France peaked during the same years.

As of 2023, just nine girls were named Bettina in the US. The name now teeters on the verge of obscurity.

SPARKY RETRO RARITY

Despite the baby name Bettina’s fall from modestly familiar to almost forgotten, it has some potential. 

Names like Luella and Odette share a sort of sparky, retro vibe. They’re the creative, offbeat cousins to Alice, Ruth, and Frances.

If you’re after a rare name with undeniable history and roots, plus plenty of presence and surprising style? Bettina might be the perfect choice.

What do you think of the baby name Bettina? 

First published on May 19, 2015, this post was revised on March 6, 2025.