The first name Bethany
A girl’s name from Aramaic meaning “house of wretchedness”.
Pronounced /ˈbɛθəni/ 3 syllables Female
Meaning and origin
Aramaic origin
Bethany means “house of wretchedness” in Aramaic.
From Ancient Greek Βηθανία (Bēthanía), from Aramaic בית עניא (beth anya, “house of wretchedness”). This etymology is highly disputed; see Bethany.
From Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Popularity
Babies registered in England and Wales, 1996–2025
In 2025, 67 girls were named Bethany, making it the 585th most popular girls’ name. It peaked in 1996, with 4,271 births (#13).
Office for National Statistics; years with fewer than three births are not published and show as zero. Compare Bethany with other names.
Popularity in the United States
Babies named Bethany at birth, 1880–2025
In 2025, 362 girls born in the United States were named Bethany, the 752nd most popular girls’ name that year. It was used most in 1987, when 3,294 were.
US Social Security Administration, from applications for a Social Security card. A name is only published for a year when at least five babies were given it, so quieter years show as zero.
Nicknames and spellings
Other spellings and forms
- Bethan
- Bethana
Famous people named Bethany
11 on Wikidata, most written-about first
- Bethany HamiltonAmerican surfer (born 1990)
- Bethany Joy LenzAmerican actress, born 1981
- Bethany EnglandEnglish footballer, born 1994
- Bethany ShrieverEnglish bicycle motocross rider (born 1999)
- Bethany MotaAmerican vlogger, born 1995
- Bethany FirthBritish swimmer, born 1996
- Bethany BenzAmerican-Ukrainian pornographic actress, reality show participant and model, born 1986
- Bethany AntoniaBritish actress, born 1997
- Bethany GalatAmerican swimmer, born 1995
- Bethany BosAmerican soccer player, born 1997
- Hannah JeterAmerican model, born 1990
Questions
- What does the name Bethany mean?
- Bethany means “house of wretchedness” in Aramaic.
- What is the origin of the name Bethany?
- From Ancient Greek Βηθανία (Bēthanía), from Aramaic בית עניא (beth anya, “house of wretchedness”). This etymology is highly disputed; see Bethany.
- How popular is the name Bethany?
- In 2025, 67 girls born in England and Wales were named Bethany, ranking 585th. Its peak was 1996, with 4,271 births.
- Is Bethany a boy's or a girl's name?
- Mostly a girl's name: 100% of the 101,086 US babies named Bethany since 1880 were girls.
- When was Bethany most popular?
- 1987 in the United States, when 3,294 babies were named Bethany, its highest rank at 87th.
- How do you pronounce Bethany?
- Bethany is /ˈbɛθəni/, 3 syllables.
- What are other spellings of Bethany?
- Bethan and Bethana.