NameCensus.

UK surname

Bettis

Derived from a diminutive of Bartholomew, meaning "son of Bette," likely referring to a notable ancestor with that name.

In the 1881 census there were 134 people recorded with the Bettis surname, ranking it #16,602 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 413, ranked #11,609, up from #16,602 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Theydon Bois, St George in the East and London parishes. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include North Norfolk, Wyre Forest and Rochford.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Bettis is 455 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 208.2%.

1881 census count

134

Ranked #16,602

Modern count

413

2016, ranked #11,609

Peak year

2010

455 bearers

Map years

7

1881 to 2016

Key insights

  • Bettis had 134 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #16,602 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 413 in 2016, ranked #11,609.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 232 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Challenged Communities.

Bettis surname distribution map

The map shows where the Bettis surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.

Distribution map

Bettis surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Bettis over time

The table below tracks recorded surname counts and rank from the 19th-century census years through the modern adult-register period.

Year Period Count Rank
1851 historical 45 #25,168
1861 historical 67 #25,342
1881 historical 134 #16,602
1891 historical 148 #18,506
1901 historical 215 #14,478
1911 historical 232 #13,592
1997 modern 423 #10,550
1998 modern 447 #10,461
1999 modern 443 #10,577
2000 modern 446 #10,516
2001 modern 426 #10,697
2002 modern 443 #10,577
2003 modern 442 #10,434
2004 modern 428 #10,737
2005 modern 432 #10,531
2006 modern 431 #10,600
2007 modern 425 #10,837
2008 modern 422 #10,992
2009 modern 436 #10,965
2010 modern 455 #10,802
2011 modern 434 #11,096
2012 modern 439 #10,873
2013 modern 435 #11,131
2014 modern 436 #11,198
2015 modern 426 #11,320
2016 modern 413 #11,609

Geography

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Where Bettis' are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Theydon Bois, St George in the East, London parishes, Stanford-le-Hope and St Dunstan Stepney. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to North Norfolk, Wyre Forest, Rochford and Hackney. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Some modern areas include a three-digit suffix, such as Leeds 110. The suffix is a small-area code, so it stays in the table while the prose uses the plain place name.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 Theydon Bois Essex
2 St George in the East London (East Districts)
3 London parishes London 3
4 Stanford-le-Hope Essex
5 St Dunstan Stepney London (East Districts)

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 North Norfolk 013 North Norfolk
2 Wyre Forest 004 Wyre Forest
3 Rochford 002 Rochford
4 Wyre Forest 011 Wyre Forest
5 Hackney 013 Hackney

Forenames

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First names often paired with Bettis

These lists show first names that appear often with the Bettis surname in historical and recent records.

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Bettis

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Bettis, this points to the kinds of places where the surname is most concentrated today.

These neighbourhood labels describe areas, not individual people. They are useful because surnames often cluster through family history, migration, housing patterns and local work. A surname can be strongest in one type of neighbourhood even when people with that name live across the country.

The UK classification gives the national picture. The London classification is more specific to the capital, where housing, age profile, tenure and population mix can look quite different from the rest of the UK.

UK neighbourhood type

UK Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Baseline UK

Group

Challenged Communities

Nationally, the Bettis surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Challenged Communities, within Baseline UK. This does not mean every Bettis household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Residents of these neighbourhoods typically live in households with dependent children, and there are fewer-than-average residents of normal retirement age or over. Identification with ethnic minorities, particularly Black, or Mixed or Multiple ethnicities is common. The rate of Christian religious affiliation is low. Housing predominantly consists of semi-detached houses, along with a significant number of terraced properties and flats. Overcrowded social housing is common, and private renting occurs at average UK levels. Those in employment work mainly in caring leisure and other services; process, plant and machine operation; or elementary occupations. Unemployment is high, and few individuals have degree level qualifications. Many of these neighbourhoods occur in commuter towns or less accessible areas of larger towns and cities.

Wider pattern

This Supergroup exemplifies the broad base to the UK’s social structure, encompassing as it does the average or modal levels of many neighbourhood characteristics, including all housing tenures, a range of levels of educational attainment and religious affiliations, and a variety of pre-retirement age structures. Yet, in combination, these mixes are each distinctive of the parts of the UK. Overall, terraced houses and flats are the most prevalent, as is employment in intermediate or low-skilled occupations. However, this Supergroup is also characterised by above average levels of unemployment and lower levels of use of English as the main language. Many neighbourhoods occur in south London and the UK’s other major urban centres.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins

Within London, Bettis is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins, part of Young Families and Mainstream Employment. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Scattered across London’s Inner and Outer suburbs, residents of these neighbourhoods are typically housed in the social rented sector. Although terraced and semi-detached houses predominate, more residents live in flats than elsewhere in the Supergroup. Neighbourhoods are more ethnically diverse than the Supergroup average. Those identifying as of Bangladeshi, Pakistani and some Black ethnicities are more prevalent. Europeans born in a overseas non-EU countries make up more of the lower proportion of residents identifying as White. Few residents are very old (85+). Employment in distribution, hotels and restaurants is more common than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

Wider London pattern

Many families in these neighbourhoods have young children. Housing is principally in the social rented sector, in terraced or semi-detached units. While over-all residential densities are low, overcrowding is also prevalent locally. Residents are drawn from a range of ethnic minorities, with many identifying as Black and above average numbers born in Africa. Numbers identifying as of Chinese, Indian or White ethnicity are below average. Levels of proficiency in English are below average. Levels of separation or divorce and incidence of disability are both above average. Education is typically limited to Level 1, 2, or apprenticeship qualifications. Few residents work in professional or managerial occupations but the employment structure is otherwise diverse: it includes skilled trades, caring, leisure and other service occupations, sales and customer service occupations, construction, and work as process, plant, and machine operatives.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Bettis is most concentrated in decile 5 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname near the middle of the scale.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

5
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Bettis falls in decile 3 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the more deprived end of the index.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

3
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Bettis is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 30-40 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

6
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

This describes the area pattern most associated with Bettis, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Bettis

The surname BETTIS is of English origin, derived from the Middle English word "bett", meaning a "bet" or "wager". It is likely that the name originally referred to someone who was a habitual gambler or bettor.

The earliest known record of the surname BETTIS dates back to the 13th century in the county of Lincolnshire, England. It is believed that the name may have originated from the village of Bettis, which was located near the town of Grantham.

In the Domesday Book, a historical manuscript compiled in 1086 by order of William the Conqueror, there is a reference to a landowner named Radulfus de Bettis, who held estates in the county of Nottinghamshire.

One of the earliest recorded examples of the surname BETTIS is that of John Bettis, who was born in 1412 in the village of Bettis, Lincolnshire. He was a prominent wool merchant and served as a member of the local council.

Sir Henry Bettis (1502-1572) was a renowned English soldier and statesman who served under King Henry VIII and Queen Elizabeth I. He played a significant role in the English Reformation and was knighted for his services to the crown.

Another notable figure was William Bettis (1672-1738), an English explorer and navigator who led several expeditions to the West Indies and the Caribbean. He is credited with discovering and mapping several islands in the region.

In the literary world, Mary Bettis (1789-1865) was an English poet and writer who published a collection of poems titled "The Garland of Love" in 1825.

Robert Bettis (1823-1892) was an American businessman and industrialist who founded the Bettis Manufacturing Company, which produced iron and steel products in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

Throughout history, the BETTIS surname has been recorded with various spellings, such as Bettys, Bettyes, and Bettes, reflecting the regional variations and spelling conventions of the time.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Bettis families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Bettis surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.

Top counties

Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Essex leads with 66 Bettis' recorded in 1881 and an index of 25.58x.

County Total Index
Essex 66 25.58x
Middlesex 46 3.52x
Kent 8 1.79x
Devon 7 2.57x
Cornwall 4 2.70x
Leicestershire 2 1.38x
Hampshire 1 0.37x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. West Ham in Essex leads with 19 Bettis' recorded in 1881 and an index of 33.36x.

Place Total Index
West Ham 19 33.36x
Mile End Old Town London 14 50.32x
Theydon Bois 12 3076.92x
St George In East London 10 81.37x
Stanford Le Hope 8 2162.16x
Theydon Garnon 7 1186.44x
Hackney London 6 8.19x
Islington London 6 4.74x
Shaugh Prior 6 1935.48x
Bowers Gifford 5 5555.56x
South Benfleet 5 1666.67x
Deptford St Paul 4 11.63x
Prittlewell 4 111.73x
Bethnal Green London 2 3.52x
Leicester St Margaret 2 5.66x
Milton In Gravesend 2 29.90x
Minster In Sheppey 2 27.06x
Padstow 2 204.08x
Romford 2 49.02x
South Mimms 2 111.73x
St George Hanover Square 2 8.68x
Tottenham 2 9.61x
Callington 1 116.28x
East Ham 1 20.88x
Edmonton 1 9.50x
Egloshayle 1 144.93x
Grays Thurrock 1 41.67x
High Ongar 1 208.33x
Ryde 1 17.39x
St Pancras London 1 0.95x
Stoke 1 90.91x
Stondon Massey 1 833.33x

Top female names

These are the female first names most often recorded with the Bettis surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
Sarah 9
Eliza 6
Mary 5
Catherine 3
Elizabeth 3
Fanny 3
Alice 2
Ann 2
Annie 2
Charlotte 2
Emma 2
Gertrude 2
Harriet 2
Jane 2
Maria 2
Martha 2
Ada 1
Amy 1
Ellen 1
Emily 1
Ethel 1
Eva 1
Hannah 1
Kate 1
Lily 1
M. 1
Mabel 1
Marian 1
Minnie 1
Rosina 1
Salome 1
Sophia 1
Susanah 1
Susannah 1
Tillah 1
Winifred 1

Top male names

These are the male first names most often recorded with the Bettis surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

FAQ

Bettis surname: questions and answers

How common was the Bettis surname in 1881?

In 1881, 134 people were recorded with the Bettis surname. That placed it at #16,602 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Bettis surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 413 in 2016. That gives Bettis a modern rank of #11,609.

What does the Bettis surname mean?

Derived from a diminutive of Bartholomew, meaning "son of Bette," likely referring to a notable ancestor with that name.

What does the Bettis map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Bettis bearers relative to the surrounding population.

What records is this surname page based on?

The historical counts come from census surname records. The modern counts and neighbourhood summaries come from later surname distribution records. Counts are recorded bearers in those records, not a live estimate of everyone with the name today.