Bethany
Bethany (Greek: Βηθανία, which is probably of Aramaic or Hebrew origin, meaning “House of figs" is a feminine given name derived from the Biblical place name, Bethany, a town near Jerusalem, at the foot of the Mount of Olives, where Lazarus lived in the New Testament, along with his sisters, Mary and Martha, and where Jesus stayed during Holy Week before his crucifixion.
Meaning & Origin of Bethany
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Bethany (Greek: Βηθανία, which is probably of Aramaic or Hebrew origin, meaning “House of figs" is a feminine given name derived from the Biblical place name, Bethany, a town near Jerusalem, at the foot of the Mount of Olives, where Lazarus lived in the New Testament, along with his sisters, Mary and Martha, and where Jesus stayed during Holy Week before his crucifixion.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
The Story of Bethany
Bethany first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby girl name in 1915, with 6 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1987, when 3,294 Bethanys were born — ranking #87 that year. As of 2026, Bethany ranks #785 for baby girls with 360 births, falling sharply (-30%). In total, more than 101K Bethanys have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1910s through the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Names that sound like Bethany
Phonetically similar names — useful when Bethany is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.
Frequently Asked Questions about Bethany
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About the name Bethany
Bethany is a girl baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1915 and has accumulated 101K births in the dataset. Bethany's peak popularity came in 1987 when it ranked #87. Use the chart and map above to compare Bethany's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 1987 →
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- Top names of 2026 →
Data sources
- Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. Social Security Administration . Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships.
- Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — Behind the Name (used under their public API terms).
- Meaning prose and editorial summary — Wikipedia article extracts, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 .
- Predicted nationality distribution — Nationalize.io .
- Phonetically similar names — Datamuse .
Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides.