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Bethany

♀ Girl

Pronounced BETH-uh-nee /ˈbɛθ.ə.ni/High

Meaning: House of figs or house of dates; from the Aramaic Bet Te'ena, a village near Jerusalem significant in the GospelsMedium

In 30 seconds: Bethany is a place name from the Gospels meaning house of figs, the village where Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead, turned into a soft three-syllable given name beloved by Christian families.
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Origin HighHebrew, Aramaic
MeaningHouse of figs or house of dates; from the Aramaic Bet Te'ena, a village near Jerusalem significant in the Gospels
U.S. rank (2025)#752 ↘ Falling
2025 U.S. births362 girls (0.02% of U.S. girls)
Peak year1987
Total births (all-time)≈ 100,896

Popularity in the U.S. · SSA data

peak 198719152025

U.S. births per year (Social Security Administration, 1880–present). Pink marker = peak year.

History & Origin

Bethany derives from the name of a village near Jerusalem, Bet Anya or Bet Te'ena in Aramaic. The precise meaning is disputed: most scholars favour house of figs, while others suggest house of misery from an Aramaic root. The village appears in all four Gospels as the home of Mary, Martha, and Lazarus.

As a given name, Bethany emerged in English-speaking Protestant communities, particularly in the United States and Britain, during the 19th and 20th centuries as part of a broader fashion for biblical place names. It peaked in the 1980s and 1990s and remains steadily used among Christian families.

Did you know? Bethany of Judea, located on the eastern slope of the Mount of Olives, is mentioned twelve times in the New Testament, making it one of the most scripturally significant small villages in the ancient world.
Overall data confidence 92%
Behind the Name — Bethany — etymology and biblical place-name originU.S. Social Security Administration — popularity data

Variations

BethanieBethaniBethan

Nicknames

BethBetsyAnnie

Famous Bearers

  • ★Bethany Hamilton (1990–present)
    American professional surfer who continued competing after losing her arm in a shark attack in 2003, becoming a global inspiration.
  • ★Bethany Mota (1995–present)
    American YouTuber and fashion influencer who built a large online following starting in her early teens.

If you like Bethany…

Brittany— same late-20th-century fashionable three-syllable -any ending
Tiffany— shares the bouncy feminine -any cadence
Abigail— fellow three-syllable biblical girls name with soft sounds
Natalie— same warm three-syllable feel popular in the same era

Frequently Asked

What does the name Bethany mean?

Bethany means house of figs in Aramaic, taking its name from the New Testament village near Jerusalem.

How do you pronounce Bethany?

It is said BETH-uh-nee, three syllables with stress on the first.

Is Bethany a biblical name?

Yes, Bethany is the name of the village in Judea where Jesus raised Lazarus and where Mary and Martha lived, mentioned throughout the Gospels.

Is Bethany a popular name?

Bethany peaked in the 1980s and 1990s in the U.S. and remains in steady use, especially in Christian families.