girl's name
Beth
BETH
- Origin English
- Gender Girl
- Syllables 1
- Letters 4
- Popularity Top 1000 (E&W)
- Births on record 171,238
Northern Ireland
#165
2024 births
Beth is a girl's name of Hebrew origin meaning "God is my oath," a short form of Elizabeth, and the seven in the Hebrew is the same idea as the oath. It ranks 165th in Northern Ireland.
- Beth is a name of English origin.
- Peaked in US records in 1961, when 6,731 babies were given the name.
- Its usage has held steady over the past decade in US records.
- Today about 1 in 19,025 babies in England and Wales is given this name.
- First appears in US birth records in 1884.
- 1 syllable, with the stress on syllable 1.
Beth over time
Births per decade in the United States, 1880s to 2020s. Beth is more popular in Northern Ireland — see the country table below. The striped bar is the 2020s, still in progress — it covers 2020 to 2025, not a full ten years.
Show the numbers
| Decade | Births |
|---|---|
| 1880s | 77 |
| 1890s | 240 |
| 1900s | 334 |
| 1910s | 2,027 |
| 1920s | 3,101 |
| 1930s | 3,311 |
| 1940s | 8,661 |
| 1950s | 34,041 |
| 1960s | 58,519 |
| 1970s | 28,946 |
| 1980s | 15,423 |
| 1990s | 3,457 |
| 2000s | 942 |
| 2010s | 412 |
| 2020s (to 2025) | 264 |
What Beth means
Beth means God is my oath, inherited from Elizabeth. The Hebrew Elisheva joins El, God, with a root carrying both oath and the number seven — swearing by seven was how a promise was made binding.
Where Beth comes from
Beth is a short form of Elizabeth, from the Hebrew Elisheva, borne in Exodus by Aaron's wife and in Luke by the mother of John the Baptist. The second element shava means both oath and seven, and the overlap is not coincidence: seven was the number that sealed an agreement in Hebrew custom. Beth is also the second letter of the Hebrew alphabet and the word for a house — as in Bethlehem, house of bread, and Bethel, house of God — which is a separate word that the name is often confused with. Little Women gave Beth March, the sister who dies, and the name's twentieth-century use in English is inseparable from that. Bethan is the Welsh form and Bess and Betty are older English short forms of the same parent.
Beth in use
Beth ranks 165th in Northern Ireland with 12 births in 2024 and 269th in Ireland, and it is stable in our data with a peak in 1961. Our records carry it from 1884. It is rare in the United States at 3,441st, where Elizabeth's other short forms carry the demand — Beth is much more a British and Irish name than an American one.
How popular is Beth?
In 2024, Beth was given to 31 babies in England and Wales, ranking #165 that year. It is well established in England and Wales.
Where Beth is used
England and Wales figures withhold any name given to fewer than three babies in a year. The historical chart above uses US records, the only series running back to 1880. Data & sources.
Names that peaked alongside Beth
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents who like Beth also like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Beth over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
Beth in other languages
The same name as it is spelled elsewhere — not shortenings, and not different names that merely sound alike. Each one has its own record here.
Sibling names for Beth
Names from the same era that won't rhyme or share an initial with Beth — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common questions about Beth
What does the name Beth mean?
Beth means "God is my oath," inherited from Elizabeth.
Is Beth the Hebrew for house?
That is a separate word — beth, the second letter, as in Bethlehem. The name comes from Elisheva instead.
Why does the Hebrew mean both oath and seven?
Swearing by seven was how a promise was made binding, so the two senses are one idea.
How popular is Beth?
165th in Northern Ireland and 269th in Ireland.
Is Beth a girl's or a boy's name?
Beth is given almost entirely to girls in birth records.
How many syllables are in Beth?
Beth has 1 syllable.
Is Beth a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Beth currently ranks #165 in the United States. Its usage has held steady over the past decade. Everything else — how it sounds with your surname, who it reminds you of — is yours.