Etymology & Historical Origin of the Baby Name Bethany

The name Bethany is borne from the Bible (the New Testament) not as a person but as a place. The name shows up in all four gospels as the location where Jesus spent Holy Week prior to going onto Jerusalem and his crucifixion. It is generally thought that Bethany comes from the Hebrew word (beth te’ena) meaning ‘house of figs’. The village of Bethany just outside of Jerusalem was the home of Lazarus and his sisters Mary and Martha (as well as Simon the Leper). As such an important place for Christians, the name has been primarily used among Roman Catholics until the 20th century when it reached a wider audience. Today, Bethany is on the Top 100 list of most commonly used girl names in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.

All About the Baby Name – Bethany

Personality

OF THE GIRL NAME BETHANY

The Three energy is powerful and enthusiastic. These personalities are cheerful, full of self-expression, and often quite emotional. They have an artistic flair and "gift-of-gab" that makes them natural entertainers. Their joyfulness bubbles over, and their infectious exuberance draws a crowd. The Three personality is like a child - forever young and full of delight. They are charming, witty, and generally happy people. The Three personality lives in the "now" and has a spontaneous nature. Threes seem to live with a bright and seemingly unbreakable aura that attracts others to them. In turn, they are deeply loyal and loving to their friends and family. Luck also has a tendency to favor number Threes.

Popularity

OF THE GIRL NAME BETHANY

Bethany first appeared on the female naming charts in the United States in 1949. The name didn’t really catch on until the 1970s and by 1983 it was a Top 100 favorite. The height of Bethany’s popularity was during the 1980s and 1990s. As we’ve entered the 21st century, she has declined substantially in usage – down to very moderate levels. We were a tiny bit surprised to see that there has been no pop-culture impact to the name’s popularity generated by Bethenny Frankel whose reality TV stardom doesn’t seem to quit. Apparently, people like her; they just aren’t moved by her name. Nevertheless, Bethany is a pretty, delicate sounding feminine name. It is also one of those ancient Biblical names that has a modern sensibility. People do commonly confuse the name Bethany with Stephanie since they sound so much alike. In any case, Bethany is a familiar name but has never been overused, so it maintains originality.

Quick Facts

ON BETHANY

GENDER:

Girl

ORIGIN:

Hebrew

NUMBER OF SYLLABLES:

3

RANKING POPULARITY:

389

PRONUNCIATION:

BETH-ə-nee

SIMPLE MEANING:

House of Figs

Characteristics

OF BETHANY

Communicative

Creative

Optimistic

Popular

Social

Dramatic

Happy

Cultural References to the Baby Name – Bethany

Literary Characters

OF THE BABY NAME BETHANY

We cannot find any significant literary characters by the name of Bethany

Childrens Books

ON THE BABY NAME BETHANY

We cannot find any childrens books with the first name Bethany


Popular Songs

ON BETHANY

August In Bethany
a song by The Juliana Theory

Famous People

NAMED BETHANY

Bethany Hamilton (girl-surfer who lost her arm when bitten by a shark)
Bethany Dillon (Christian musician)
Bethany Joy Galeotti (actress)
Bethanie Mattek-Sands (tennis player)
Bethany McLean (journalist/writer)

Children of Famous People

NAMED BETHANY

We cannot find any children of famous people with the first name Bethany

Historic Figures

WITH THE NAME BETHANY

Lazarus of Bethany is the biblical character in the Gospel of John whom Jesus miraculously raised from the dead at the request of his grief-stricken sisters, Martha and Mary. We know little about Lazarus, other than that he and his sisters are friends of Jesus, whom they entertain at their home. Oh, and also that little sidebar of resurrection. The appearance of a man who had been settled in a tomb only four days earlier naturally causes a little stir in the neighborhood, and comes to the attention of authorities. Alas, it is only legend, not gospel, that muses on Lazarus’ ultimate fate. We have to wonder though – what does such a man do for a second act?!