girl's name

Bethan

  • Origin Welsh
  • Gender Girl
  • Letters 6
  • Popularity Uncommon
  • Births on record 8,502

Northern Ireland

#527

2012 births

Bethan is a girl's name. In 2012 it was given to 5 babies in the United States. It is used consistently but remains uncommon.

  • Bethan is a name of Welsh origin.
  • Peaked in England and Wales in 1996, when 825 babies were given the name.
  • It has been falling over the past decade in England and Wales.
  • Today about 1 in 47,904 babies in England and Wales is given this name.
  • First appears in birth records in 1996.

Bethan over time

Births per decade in England and Wales, 1990s to 2020s. The striped bar is the 2020s, still in progress — it covers 2020 to 2025, not a full ten years.

3,760
'90 '00 '10 '20
Show the numbers
Births named Bethan by decade in England and Wales
Decade Births
1990s 2,885
2000s 3,760
2010s 1,208
2020s (to 2025) 126

How popular is Bethan?

In 2025, Bethan was given to 11 babies in England and Wales. It is used consistently but remains uncommon.

Where Bethan is used

Northern Ireland #527 3 in 2012
Scotland #923 3 in 2020
Ireland #1,032 3 in 2017
England & Wales #2,551 11 in 2025
United States #18,591 5 in 2012

The bar shows how near the top of each country's list the name sits, on a scale where #1 fills the row and #1,000 is a sliver. The figures beside it are the real rank and the babies recorded that year.

Figures for England and Wales withhold any name given to fewer than three babies in a year, so a gap means the name fell below that floor rather than went unused. Data & sources.

Names that peaked alongside Bethan

These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.

Parents who like Bethan also like

Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Bethan over the last century — the same taste, a different name.

Sibling names for Bethan

Names from the same era that won't rhyme or share an initial with Bethan — the two things that make a sibling set grate.

Common questions about Bethan

How popular is the name Bethan?

In 2025, Bethan was given to 11 babies in England and Wales. It is used consistently but remains uncommon.

Is Bethan a girl's or a boy's name?

Bethan is given almost entirely to girls in birth records.

When was Bethan most popular?

Bethan peaked in 1996, when 825 babies were given the name. It has been falling over the past decade.

Is Bethan a good name?

That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Bethan currently ranks #2,551 in England and Wales. It has been falling over the past decade. Everything else — how it sounds with your surname, who it reminds you of — is yours.