girl's name
Bethany
BETH-uh-nee
- Origin Hebrew
- Gender Girl
- Syllables 3
- Letters 7
- Popularity Top 1000 (US)
- Births on record 151,833
the United States
#751
2025 births
Bethany is a village outside Jerusalem, and its meaning is contested — house of figs and house of the poor are both proposed. Northern Ireland ranks it 269th, its strongest market by a distance.
- Bethany is a name of Hebrew origin.
- Peaked in 1987, when 3,307 babies were given the name.
- It has been falling over the past decade.
- Today about 1 in 9,158 babies in the United States is given this name.
- First appears in US birth records in 1915.
- 3 syllables, with the stress on syllable 1.
Bethany over time
Births per decade in the United States, 1910s to 2020s. The striped bar is the 2020s, still in progress — it covers 2020 to 2025, not a full ten years.
Show the numbers
| Decade | Births |
|---|---|
| 1910s | 46 |
| 1920s | 119 |
| 1930s | 164 |
| 1940s | 471 |
| 1950s | 1,514 |
| 1960s | 3,807 |
| 1970s | 12,210 |
| 1980s | 29,435 |
| 1990s | 27,790 |
| 2000s | 15,382 |
| 2010s | 7,615 |
| 2020s (to 2025) | 2,533 |
What Bethany means
Bethany is variously read as house of figs or house of the poor. Both take the Hebrew beth, a house, as the first element, and neither second element is agreed.
Where Bethany comes from
Bethany is a village on the Mount of Olives, from a Semitic name whose second element is disputed — beth te'enah, house of figs, and beth ani, house of the poor or the afflicted, are the two standard proposals. It is where Lazarus, Martha and Mary lived in the Gospels. The beth is the same element in Bethlehem, house of bread, and Bethel, house of God, and it is the second letter of the Hebrew alphabet. Its use as a given name is a modern English development with no historical tradition behind it.
Bethany in use
Bethany peaked in the United States in 1987, when 3,307 babies were registered, and is falling in our data. It now ranks 269th in Northern Ireland on 6 births, 406th in Scotland on 8, 576th in Ireland, 587th in England and Wales on 67 and 751st in the United States on 362, across 151,833 lifetime births in six of the seven markets we track. All four British and Irish markets place it above America.
How popular is Bethany?
In 2025, Bethany was given to 362 babies in the United States, ranking #751 that year. It is a well-established, commonly used name.
Where Bethany is used
US figures omit any name given to fewer than five babies in a year, so the rarest names are absent from the source rather than absent from use. Data & sources.
Names that peaked alongside Bethany
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents who like Bethany also like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Bethany over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
1 nickname for Bethany
Each one is a name in its own right — the figure underneath is how it is doing today, so you can see which short forms are rising and which have faded.
Bethany 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.
- Spanish
- Bethania
Sibling names for Bethany
Names from the same era that won't rhyme or share an initial with Bethany — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common questions about Bethany
What does the name Bethany mean?
Contested. House of figs and house of the poor are both proposed for the village outside Jerusalem.
Is Bethany in the Bible?
As a place — the village where Lazarus, Martha and Mary lived, on the Mount of Olives.
Is Beth short for Bethany?
It is used that way, though Beth also shortens Elizabeth, which is a different name entirely.
Where is Bethany most used?
Northern Ireland at 269th. All four British and Irish markets place it above America.
How popular is the name Bethany?
In 2025, Bethany was given to 362 babies in the United States, ranking #751 that year. It is a well-established, commonly used name.
Is Bethany a girl's or a boy's name?
Bethany is given almost entirely to girls in birth records.
How many syllables are in Bethany?
Bethany has 3 syllables.
When was Bethany most popular?
Bethany peaked in 1987, when 3,307 babies were given the name. It has been falling over the past decade.
What are the nicknames for Bethany?
Bethany is usually shortened to Beth.
Is Bethany a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Bethany currently ranks #269 in the United States. It has been falling over the past decade. Everything else — how it sounds with your surname, who it reminds you of — is yours.