Female name
Bethany
43,293 births (England and Wales, 1996–2025), peaking in 1996. Expression number: 3.
Origin
From Ancient Greek Βηθανία (Bēthanía), from Aramaic בית עניא (beth anya, “house of wretchedness”). This etymology is highly disputed; see Bethany.From Wiktionary, entry “Bethany”, text under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Do you know a Bethany?
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How many babies received it
From the official birth registers.
In England and Wales
Peak in 1996: 4,271 births. 43,293 births from 1996 to 2025. A name given mostly in the 1990s and 2000s. At its peak, it ranked 11th among girls' names in 1999. It is still given: 662 births from 2021 to 2025.
Source: Office for National Statistics, Baby names in England and Wales, Open Government Licence v3.0.
In the United States
Peak in 1987: 3,307 births. 101,086 births from 1880 to 2025. A name given mostly in the 1970s, 1980s, 1990s and 2000s. At its peak, it ranked 87th among girls' names in 1987. It really came into use around 1925. It is still given: 2,050 births from 2021 to 2025.
Source: Social Security Administration, Popular Baby Names, public domain.
In Ireland
Peak in 2003: 22 births. 359 births from 1964 to 2025. A name given mostly in the 2000s, 2010s and 2020s. It really came into use around 2003. It is still given: 38 births from 2021 to 2025.
Source: Central Statistics Office, Irish Babies' Names, CC BY 4.0.
Elsewhere in the world
The name in the birth records of the 10 countries we track. The period covered varies from country to country.
| Country | Births | Period | Best rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Quebec | 60 | 1980–2025 | — |
Source: Retraite Québec, Banque de prénoms, CC BY 4.0.
The numbers of the name
Each letter has a value: A = 1, B = 2… I = 9, then J = 1 again (Pythagorean method). We add them up, then reduce to a single digit, except 11, 22 and 33.
■ vowel · ■ consonant
Expression
All the letters: talents, the way you act.
3
expression, creativity, sociability
2 + 5 + 2 + 8 + 1 + 5 + 7 = 30 → 3
Soul
The vowels: what drives you deep down.
4
work, structure, stability
5 + 1 + 7 = 13 → 4
Personality
The consonants: what others notice first.
8
power, achievement, your relationship with money
2 + 2 + 8 + 5 = 17 → 8
- Digits missing from the name
- 3, 4, 6, 9
- Most frequent digit
- 2 · cooperation, sensitivity, connection
The meaning of the numbers comes from numerological tradition; it isn't a measure of your personality. A full portrait needs your first and middle names, your last name at birth, and your date of birth. How we calculate
Your name and theirs
The number of each name, and the number of the bond, which comes from adding them together. A symbolic game: what your two names say together, to be read as a metaphor, not as a verdict on your relationship.