UK girl's name
Bethany
A feminine name of Hebrew origin meaning "house of dates".
For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2024. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.
Bethany is a girl's name in the UK records. People looking for Bethany popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2024 in this profile. In that release it ranked #539, with 72 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 1996, with 4,271 births.
This profile covers 43,226 England and Wales registrations across 29 recorded years from 1996 to 2024. The figures come from ONS England and Wales, NRS Scotland and NISRA Northern Ireland, 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 2% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.
We estimate that about 46,428 living people in the UK are called Bethany. 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 2025 or 2026.
Key insights
- • Bethany ranked #539 for girls in England and Wales in 2024, with 72 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 1996, when 4,271 girls were registered as Bethany.
- • Bethany ranks best in North East in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #1 in 2000.
- • About 46,428 living people in the UK are estimated to have Bethany as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
Latest rank (E&W)
#539
2024
Births in 2024
72
Latest year
Peak year
1996
4,271 births
Estimated living
46,428
2026
Meaning
What does Bethany mean?
The name Bethany originated from the Aramaic language, an ancient Semitic language that was widely spoken in the Middle East during the first millennium BCE. The name is derived from the Hebrew phrase "Beit Aniah," which translates to "house of affliction" or "house of poverty."
This name has a biblical connection, as it refers to the village of Bethany, located on the Mount of Olives near Jerusalem. In the New Testament, Bethany is mentioned as the home of Mary, Martha, and their brother Lazarus, whom Jesus raised from the dead. It was also the place where Jesus stayed during his final days before his crucifixion.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Bethany can be found in the Gospel of John, where it is mentioned as the place where Jesus performed the miracle of raising Lazarus from the dead. This event is considered a pivotal moment in the life of Jesus and a symbol of his divine power.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Bethany. One of the most famous was Bethany Dillon (1857-1942), an American Christian missionary and teacher who spent over 50 years working in China. Another notable figure was Bethany Beardslee (1825-1883), an American Christian missionary and educator who established several schools in Syria and Lebanon.
In the realm of literature, the name Bethany gained prominence through the character of Bethany Meeks in the novel "The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants" by Ann Brashares, published in 2001. The character's name became popular among readers and contributed to the name's increased usage in the early 2000s.
Another notable bearer of the name was Bethany Hamilton (born 1990), a professional surfer from Hawaii who lost her left arm in a shark attack at the age of 13. Her story of resilience and determination inspired the 2011 film "Soul Surfer," which helped to further popularize the name.
Bethany Whitbeck (1795-1839) was an American educator and pioneer in the field of teaching the deaf. She established several schools for the deaf in New York and played a significant role in promoting education for those with hearing impairments.
These are just a few examples of individuals throughout history who have carried the name Bethany, each contributing to its rich cultural and historical significance.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Bethany over time
The chart below shows babies named Bethany registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 1996 to 2024. Empty years are left out so rare names are not stretched across long periods where the published files do not show any registrations.
For Bethany, the clearest high point is 1996. The latest England and Wales figure is 72 births in 2024, compared with 4,271 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Bethany by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Bethany 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020s | #316 | 802 | 5 |
| 2010s | #99 | 6,450 | 10 |
| 2000s | #34 | 19,489 | 10 |
| 1990s | #13 | 16,485 | 4 |
Geography
Where Bethany is most common
The bars show the latest published local birth counts for Bethany. They are useful for spotting where the name is showing up in real numbers, while the rank beside each bar shows how strongly it performs inside that region.
Bethany ranks best in North East in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #1 in 2000.
Across the UK
Bethany in Scotland and Northern Ireland
Scotland (NRS)
#384 in 2024
42 years of NRS records, 2,523 total registered
Northern Ireland (NISRA)
#253 in 2024
28 years of NISRA records, 985 total registered
Notable bearers
Famous people named Bethany
-
Bethany Jones
badminton player
badminton player
2000-
-
Bethany Harford
association football player
English footballer
1999-
-
Bethany Shriever
sport cyclist
English bicycle motocross rider (born 1999)
1999-
-
Bethany Richards
badminton player
badminton player
1997-
-
Bethany Taylor
sport cyclist
British cyclist
1997-
-
Bethany Antonia
actor
British actress
1997-
-
Bethany Hayward
sport cyclist
British cyclist
1996-
-
Bethany Firth
swimmer
British swimmer
1996-
Related
Names similar to Bethany
- Brooke 18,370
- Bella 14,112
- Bonnie 12,149
- Beatrice 11,306
- Bethan 7,968
- Beth 6,440
- Betsy 5,065
- Beatrix 4,317
- Billie 4,220
- Beau 3,231
- Bryony 3,167
- Belle 2,852
FAQ
Bethany: questions and answers
How popular is the name Bethany in the UK right now?
In 2024, Bethany was ranked #539 for girls in England and Wales, with 72 births registered.
When was Bethany most popular?
The peak year on record was 1996, with 4,271 babies registered as Bethany in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Bethany?
A feminine name of Hebrew origin meaning "house of dates".
How many people are called Bethany in the UK?
A total of 43,226 babies have been registered as Bethany across the 29 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here, plus 2,523 more in Scotland and 985 in Northern Ireland.
Where is Bethany most common?
In the latest published local rankings, Bethany ranks best in North East, where it placed #1 in 2000. The regional bars on this page use birth counts, so they also reflect the size of each region.
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.