Meanings
proper noun
- A diminutive of the female given name Elizabeth.
1 more example
No one ever called Elizabeth Tannenbaum stunning, but most men found her attractive. Hardly anyone called her Elizabeth, either. An "Elizabeth" was regal, cool, an eyecatching beauty. A "Betsy" was pleasant to look at, a tiny bit overweight, capable, but still fun to be with. Betsy suited her just fine.
1993, Phillip Margolin, Gone But Not Forgotten, Bantam Books, →ISBN, page 25
Origin
From the clipping of Elizabeth + -sy (hypocoristic suffix).
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Chinese Mandarin 貝琪 /贝琪, 贝齐
- 貝琪 /贝琪 (Bèiqí)female given name
- 贝齐 (Bèiqí)female given name
Japanese ベッツィ, ベッツィー
- ベッツィ (Bettsi)female given name
- ベッツィー (Bettsii)female given name
Russian Бетси
- Бетси (Betsi)female given name
Cite this entry
APA
Betsy. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Betsy
MLA
“Betsy.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Betsy. Accessed November 3, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “Betsy,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Betsy.
Source: Betsy on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.