ESC Name Rank Total Searching... No names found Try searching for: Emma, Liam, Olivia, Noah... 👧As Girl Name 1890 First Year 2026 Last Year 1922 Peak Year #632 Peak Rank 5K Total Count 136 Years Active 👦As Boy Name 1891 First Year 2022 Last Year 1919 Peak Year #1097 Peak Rank 1K Total Count 73 Years Active 🌍 ## Meaning & Origin of Bethel What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures. Bethel was an ancient Israelite city and sacred space that is frequently mentioned in the Hebrew Bible. Source: [Wikipedia ](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bethel) (CC BY-SA 3.0). [Read more → ](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bethel) [![Wikipedia thumbnail for Bethel](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/1a/Bethel_MET_DP116361.jpg/330px-Bethel_MET_DP116361.jpg)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bethel) 📖 ## The Story of Bethel ### As a girl name Bethel first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a girl name in 1890, with 6 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1922, when 119 Bethels were born — ranking #665 that year. As of 2026, Bethel ranks #4,009 for girls with 36 births, falling sharply (-38%). In total, more than 5K Bethels have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1890s through the 2020s. ### As a boy name Bethel first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a boy name in 1891, with 5 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1919, when 39 Bethels were born — ranking #1,097 that year. As of 2026, Bethel ranks #12,323 for boys with 5 births, with steady use. In total, more than 1K Bethels have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1890s through the 2020s. ## Popularity Over Time Girls Boys ## Popularity by State 👧 Girls 👦 Boys ME WA MT ND MN WI MI NY VT NH MA OR ID SD IA IL IN OH PA NJ CT RI CA NV WY NE MO KY WV VA MD DE DC UT CO KS AR TN NC SC AK AZ NM OK LA MS AL GA HI TX FL Top 10 11-50 51-100 101-500 500+ No data 🎶 ## Names that sound like Bethel Phonetically similar names — useful when Bethel is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name. * Bethell * Bothell * Bezel * Bezzle * Bettle * [Betel](/betel) * Bessel * Bekele * Bootheel * Buckle * Bustle * Bizzle Source: [Datamuse ](https://www.datamuse.com/api/). Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated. ❓ ## Frequently Asked Questions about Bethel What does the name Bethel mean? Bethel was an ancient Israelite city and sacred space that is frequently mentioned in the Hebrew Bible. How popular is Bethel in 2026? In 2026, Bethel ranks #4,009 among girls' names in the U.S., with 36 babies given the name that year. When was Bethel most popular? Bethel reached its peak popularity in 1922, ranking #632 that year with 119 babies given the name. In which U.S. states is Bethel most popular? Bethel has historically been most popular in Oregon, Kentucky, Arkansas. Rankings vary year to year, but these states show the strongest concentration of births named Bethel. Is Bethel a unisex name? Yes — Bethel is used for both girls and boys in U.S. records, with about 84% of Bethels assigned female and 16% assigned male historically. What names go well with Bethel? Names that share a similar style or popularity range with Bethel include Daniel, Erlinda, Keilani. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data. ## Similar Names ### 👧 Similar Girl Names [👧DanielPeak #632](/daniel)[👧ErlindaPeak #632](/erlinda)[👧KeilaniPeak #632](/keilani)[👧CelestiaPeak #633](/celestia) ### 👦 Similar Boy Names [👦TomiePeak #1097](/tomie)[👦DyllonPeak #1097](/dyllon)[👦SeldonPeak #1096](/seldon)[👦BurenPeak #1096](/buren) ## About the name Bethel Bethel is a unisex baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1890 and has accumulated 5K births in the dataset. Bethel's peak popularity came in 1922 when it ranked #632\. Use the chart and map above to compare Bethel's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices. ### Continue exploring * [ Top names of 1922 → ](/year/1922) * [ Names of the 1920s → ](/decade/1920s) * [ Names starting with "B" → ](/letter/b) * [ Browse all girl names → ](/names/girls) * [ Top names of 2026 → ](/year/2026) * [ Browse unisex names → ](/names/unisex) Data sources * Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. [Social Security Administration ](https://www.ssa.gov/oact/babynames/). 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 ](https://www.behindthename.com/) (used under their public API terms). * Meaning prose and editorial summary — [Wikipedia ](https://en.wikipedia.org/) article extracts, licensed under [CC BY-SA 3.0 ](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/). * Predicted nationality distribution — [Nationalize.io ](https://nationalize.io/). * Phonetically similar names — [Datamuse ](https://www.datamuse.com/api/). 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.