Girl nameCurrently #727 in the USFalling
Bethany
BETH-uh-nee//ˈbɛθəni//
3 syllablesPeak year: 19877 lettersStarts with B
Meaning & origin
House of figs (biblical village name)
Bethany comes from the name of a biblical village near Jerusalem, home to Mary, Martha, and Lazarus, whose Hebrew/Aramaic root is often understood as 'house of figs' or 'house of affliction'. It became a popular given name in the 20th century for its gentle, biblical resonance.
Bethany's popularity over time
| Year | Births named Bethany |
|---|---|
| 1915 | 6 |
| 1916 | 9 |
| 1917 | 6 |
| 1918 | 11 |
| 1919 | 14 |
| 1920 | 11 |
| 1921 | 8 |
| 1922 | 9 |
| 1923 | 18 |
| 1924 | 9 |
| 1925 | 20 |
| 1926 | 9 |
| 1927 | 16 |
| 1928 | 6 |
| 1929 | 13 |
| 1930 | 9 |
| 1931 | 14 |
| 1932 | 12 |
| 1933 | 17 |
| 1934 | 21 |
| 1935 | 22 |
| 1936 | 6 |
| 1937 | 14 |
| 1938 | 20 |
| 1939 | 29 |
| 1940 | 22 |
| 1941 | 22 |
| 1942 | 51 |
| 1943 | 43 |
| 1944 | 34 |
| 1945 | 34 |
| 1946 | 50 |
| 1947 | 48 |
| 1948 | 71 |
| 1949 | 96 |
| 1950 | 117 |
| 1951 | 145 |
| 1952 | 130 |
| 1953 | 120 |
| 1954 | 173 |
| 1955 | 170 |
| 1956 | 156 |
| 1957 | 158 |
| 1958 | 146 |
| 1959 | 199 |
| 1960 | 215 |
| 1961 | 226 |
| 1962 | 249 |
| 1963 | 334 |
| 1964 | 367 |
| 1965 | 387 |
| 1966 | 430 |
| 1967 | 475 |
| 1968 | 501 |
| 1969 | 623 |
| 1970 | 709 |
| 1971 | 654 |
| 1972 | 786 |
| 1973 | 1,042 |
| 1974 | 1,186 |
| 1975 | 1,136 |
| 1976 | 1,293 |
| 1977 | 1,532 |
| 1978 | 1,771 |
| 1979 | 2,102 |
| 1980 | 2,507 |
| 1981 | 2,701 |
| 1982 | 2,724 |
| 1983 | 2,778 |
| 1984 | 2,992 |
| 1985 | 2,966 |
| 1986 | 3,089 |
| 1987 | 3,307 |
| 1988 | 3,275 |
| 1989 | 3,097 |
| 1990 | 3,245 |
| 1991 | 3,118 |
| 1992 | 2,937 |
| 1993 | 2,846 |
| 1994 | 2,774 |
| 1995 | 2,748 |
| 1996 | 2,699 |
| 1997 | 2,623 |
| 1998 | 2,490 |
| 1999 | 2,310 |
| 2000 | 2,191 |
| 2001 | 2,035 |
| 2002 | 1,793 |
| 2003 | 1,619 |
| 2004 | 1,637 |
| 2005 | 1,504 |
| 2006 | 1,405 |
| 2007 | 1,168 |
| 2008 | 1,065 |
| 2009 | 964 |
| 2010 | 865 |
| 2011 | 915 |
| 2012 | 903 |
| 2013 | 803 |
| 2014 | 829 |
| 2015 | 770 |
| 2016 | 692 |
| 2017 | 629 |
| 2018 | 657 |
| 2019 | 550 |
| 2020 | 483 |
| 2021 | 464 |
| 2022 | 443 |
| 2023 | 390 |
| 2024 | 386 |
Bethany through the decades
- Bethany peaked in 1987, when 3,307 babies were named Bethany in the US.
- Over the last 10 years of data (2015–2024), use of Bethany has fallen 48% compared to the 10 years before that.
- Bethany currently ranks #727 in the US and is cooling off.
Nicknames
Beth
Variants & spellings
Bethanie