Is Betsy a nn or a name in its own right?

[FromageFrog]

And does it stand the child and adult test?

I think it suits a little girl but not sure about an adult?

It's a nickname (usually for Elizabeth), but lots of people choose to use nicknames as given names. I am not one of them!

It's the sort of name that is popular at the moment, so there will probably be a few of them by the time she's an adult.

Personally, I think it lacks substance for an adult (which is part of why I don't go for nicknames as given names, I guess), but I am just one random, faceless person.

I don't do nicknames either so that's ruled out as well then.

You don't like Elizabeth?

The risk, though, with a name like Elizabeth is that there are SO many nicknames, that the chances of you establishing your preferred one are slim to nil!

I would say that's up to you! Me personally, I would say it's a nn. I know someone who has named all her children and given them nn from birth and they have been introduced to the works as baby xxxx to be called xxxx. That way you will establish your preferred nn. Just a thought.

Betsy is a derivative of Elizabeth. In my experience a nickname is derogatory and would never be given to a child by a family member and certainly not by a parent. Nicknames are given according to negative traits associated with individuals or families.

My dgd has Betsy as a middle name. It sounds good and would be fine as a first name for any age.

emacp what??? My Dad gave me a nickname nothing to do with my name and it was affectionate and lovely, some of my close friends still call me by that name. I think you are talking twaddle.

Wow, emacp.

You realise that's not a normal viewpoint, right.......?

I know a betsi, think its lovely!

emacp - but surely most nn are a positive thing, given for positive reasons? Every nn or pet name I know of are for nice reasons - loving sentiments behind them generally infact.

I would have thought using the entire full name in a serious tone would be more likely to denote a negative - but even then it would depend on the tone of voice and body language accompanying it.

I've known two Betsys, one who would be a teenager now and the other about seven or so. Both standalone names, not short for anything. I quite like it.

my grandma is a Betsy and my daughter's middle name is Betsy after her....just as it is....I personally love the name :-)

Oops and yes I think Betsy is lovely too. My dm really wanted the name for one of my dds but I had other ideas.

I know a toddler Betsy, its a nice name, tho my aunt had a dog called Betsy so I thought of it as a 'pets name' but then my ds2 has a name that is a dog/cat name apparently!

emacp that is just odd,nicknames are not negative and are often given by parents and close family!

I do like Elizabeth but I detest 'Liz' - which I think is inevitable eventually.

How about Bethany?

I went to school with two elizabeths one was called Libby as that's what she was called at home, sometimes it was shortened by us to Libs. The other was called Beth because that's what she wanted us to call her.

So I don't agree that nn are not your control. They are in the control of the person who has the name, unless its a derogatory nn, then you have no control.

I like Betsy as a name why not.

My grandmother was christened Bessie, she would have been 98 next month. Its not a new thing to give children nn as given names.

Isn't Denice Van Outen's daughter called Betsy?

It's a nickname. Not one of the better Elizabeth nicknames available either.

Um emacp my Dad gave me a nickname unrelated to my name and unless I've been mislead all my life,it was meant with affection.

Do you understand what a nickname is?

I don't think that Liz is inevitable with Elizabeth (and if you use the Elisabeth spelling perhaps even less likely). Not sure about Besty as a given name, as it's a bit cutsie. But then I know a rather glamorous Betty, which before I met her I would have said was surely impossible!

My nanna is called Betsy so to me its more of an older persons name. I cant imagine a middle aged lady called Betsy...

I would use it. MInd, my dd also has a 'nickname' as her real name (Meg).

All of my Mum's brothers and sisters had a different shortened version of their name used by the family istead of their actual names - in fact it was many years later before \i knew that their actual given names were different.

I used to wonder why my Uncle called his wife Elizabeth when clearly her name was Bunty!

Liz is not inevitable. Believe me, my dd is Elizabeth, nn, Lizzie and we have always called her Lizzie from birth. Despite this, we've had a nursery nurse, family member (now deceased) and her good friend's mum insisting on calling her Beth, which personally I don't like. In the end I'm sure she will decide but whilst she's still young (7) then I don't think it's unreasonable to expect Lizzie esp as she sees that as her name.

So if you used Elizabeth and called her Betsy from the start then I'm sure most rational people would call her Betsy.