Meaning and background
The story behind Betta
Betta brings together two quite different possibilities. In English it is the name of a colourful freshwater fish genus, particularly associated with the Siamese fighting fish. Similar-looking personal-name forms also occur in several European languages, but the site consulted for those histories relies on user submissions. Without knowing why a dog received Betta, the fish-word association can be stated accurately while a personal-name origin stays open.
- Meaning
- English noun betta: a tropical freshwater fish of the genus Betta, especially the Siamese fighting fish (word association) Source
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About Betta
Recorded as a dog’s name
Betta appears in 2 dog licence records in the 2016 New York City dataset.
How to read this count
These records cover New York City and may count the same dog in more than one licence period. They are not a national popularity ranking.
Pronunciation and rhythm
/bɛtə/
US English sound sequence, converted from the CMU dictionary. Stress marks are shown separately.
Stress on the first syllable in the recorded US readings.
View dictionary notation
/bɛtə/ · primary stress on syllable 1B EH1 T AH0
These are US dictionary readings. Personal, regional and other language pronunciations may differ.
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Sources and research notes (2)
- New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene NYC Dog Licensing Dataset — all seven available extract years, retrieved 24 October 2026 — Recorded name spellings in NYC licence-period rows, extract years 2016–2018, 2022–2024 and 2026. Evidence selects one stated year per name. Annual snapshots overlap; never sum them as unique dogs. No national popularity, etymology or owner naming-intent claim.
- Carnegie Mellon University / CMU Sphinx maintainers CMU US English Pronouncing Dictionary — US English dictionary readings; not owner-specific or exhaustive multilingual pronunciation
References support the individual facts shown. A source link does not mean the entire profile has been verified.