NameCensus.

UK girl's name

Bethaney

An ancient name of Hebrew origin, possibly meaning "house of dates or figs".

For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2012. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.

Bethaney is a girl's name in the UK records. People looking for Bethaney popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2012 in this profile. In that release it ranked #5876, with 3 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 1996, with 29 births.

This profile covers 157 England and Wales registrations across 12 recorded years from 1996 to 2012. The figures come from ONS England and Wales, so the page is a view of published baby-name registrations rather than a forecast or a live count of people using the name today.

The latest count is about 10% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.

We estimate that about 156 living people in the UK are called Bethaney. This uses published birth registrations from England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, then applies ONS national life tables to estimate how many are likely still alive. It does not forecast extra births for 2013 or 2026.

Key insights

  • Bethaney ranked #5876 for girls in England and Wales in 2012, with 3 registrations.
  • The name peaked in 1996, when 29 girls were registered as Bethaney.
  • About 156 living people in the UK are estimated to have Bethaney as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.

Latest rank (E&W)

#5876

2012

Births in 2012

3

Latest year

Peak year

1996

29 births

Estimated living

156

2026

Meaning

What does Bethaney mean?

The name Bethaney is an English feminine given name derived from the Hebrew place name Bethany, which means "house of dates" or "house of misery." It is a variant spelling of the more common name Bethany.

Bethany was a village near Jerusalem, located on the eastern slopes of the Mount of Olives. It is mentioned several times in the New Testament of the Bible as the home of Mary, Martha, and Lazarus, whom Jesus raised from the dead. The village was also the site of Jesus' entry into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday.

The earliest recorded usage of the name Bethaney can be traced back to the late 16th century in England. One of the earliest known bearers of the name was Bethaney Langley, who was born in 1592 in Nottinghamshire, England.

Throughout history, there have been a few notable individuals named Bethaney. Bethaney Revell was an English actress who lived in the 17th century and performed in various plays in London. Bethaney Wallington was a British writer and poet who published several works in the 18th century.

In the 19th century, Bethaney Merrifield was a notable English botanist and naturalist who specialized in the study of seaweeds. She published several influential works on the subject and was a pioneering figure in the field of phycology.

Bethaney Whilton was an American suffragette and women's rights activist who was active in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. She campaigned tirelessly for women's right to vote and was a prominent figure in the suffrage movement.

In more recent times, Bethaney Petersen was an American actress and model who appeared in several films and television shows in the mid-20th century. She was known for her roles in various westerns and action movies.

While the name Bethaney has remained relatively uncommon throughout history, it has a rich cultural and biblical heritage, with its roots firmly grounded in the New Testament and the life of Jesus Christ.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

Popularity

Bethaney over time

The chart below shows babies named Bethaney registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 1996 to 2012. Empty years are left out so rare names are not stretched across long periods where the published files do not show any registrations.

For Bethaney, the clearest high point is 1996. The latest England and Wales figure is 3 births in 2012, compared with 29 at the peak.

Babies born per year

Bethaney
07152229199620042012

Decades

Bethaney by decade

Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Bethaney was a short-lived spike or a name that stayed in regular use. Average rank is calculated only from years where a published rank exists.

Decade Average rank Total births Years covered
2010s #5876 3 1
2000s #2876 55 7
1990s #887 99 4

Related

Names similar to Bethaney

FAQ

Bethaney: questions and answers

How popular is the name Bethaney in the UK right now?

In 2012, Bethaney was ranked #5876 for girls in England and Wales, with 3 births registered.

When was Bethaney most popular?

The peak year on record was 1996, with 29 babies registered as Bethaney in England and Wales.

What is the meaning and origin of Bethaney?

An ancient name of Hebrew origin, possibly meaning "house of dates or figs".

How many people are called Bethaney in the UK?

A total of 157 babies have been registered as Bethaney across the 12 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here.

Which records is this page based on?

The England and Wales timeline uses ONS baby-name records. Scotland figures come from NRS and Northern Ireland figures come from NISRA. Counts are registrations in published baby-name files. The living estimate uses those birth registrations with ONS national life tables.