Bethany
#751 for girls in 2025, 362 births · Last seen for boys in 2004 at #8,143
Given to girls 99.8% of the time
- Peak · girls
- 1987 · 3,294 births
- Debut · girls
- 6 births
- In top 100 · girls
- 6 yrsof 146 years
- Total births · girls
- 100,902since 1915
Bethany over time
Rank among girls' names. Click any year to open it.
Gaps mean fewer than 5 babies received the name that year, so the SSA doesn't publish it.
Show data table
| Year | girls | boys | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| rank | births | rank | births | |
| 2025 | #751 | 362 | — | |
| 2024 | #725 | 389 | — | |
| 2023 | #720 | 390 | — | |
| 2022 | #665 | 444 | — | |
| 2021 | #637 | 465 | — | |
| 2020 | #601 | 483 | — | |
| 2019 | #552 | 550 | — | |
| 2018 | #474 | 658 | — | |
| 2017 | #497 | 629 | — | |
| 2016 | #460 | 692 | — | |
| 2015 | #415 | 770 | — | |
| 2014 | #393 | 829 | — | |
| 2013 | #386 | 803 | — | |
| 2012 | #352 | 904 | — | |
| 2011 | #350 | 915 | — | |
| 2010 | #368 | 865 | — | |
| 2009 | #341 | 965 | — | |
| 2008 | #315 | 1,065 | — | |
| 2007 | #291 | 1,168 | — | |
| 2006 | #243 | 1,405 | — | |
| 2005 | #227 | 1,504 | — | |
| 2004 | #207 | 1,629 | #8,143 | 8 |
| 2003 | #204 | 1,619 | — | |
| 2002 | #178 | 1,793 | — | |
| 2001 | #158 | 2,030 | #10,556 | 5 |
| 2000 | #151 | 2,191 | — | |
| 1999 | #140 | 2,303 | #7,874 | 7 |
| 1998 | #132 | 2,490 | — | |
| 1997 | #121 | 2,623 | — | |
| 1996 | #117 | 2,699 | — | |
| 1995 | #116 | 2,743 | #8,868 | 5 |
| 1994 | #116 | 2,774 | — | |
| 1993 | #115 | 2,840 | #7,638 | 6 |
| 1992 | #115 | 2,930 | #6,670 | 7 |
| 1991 | #109 | 3,113 | #8,236 | 5 |
| 1990 | #107 | 3,238 | #6,415 | 7 |
| 1989 | #102 | 3,081 | #3,618 | 15 |
| 1988 | #89 | 3,270 | #7,270 | 5 |
| 1987 | #87 | 3,294 | #3,521 | 13 |
| 1986 | #91 | 3,082 | #5,332 | 7 |
| 1985 | #94 | 2,959 | #4,333 | 9 |
| 1984 | #93 | 2,980 | #3,925 | 10 |
| 1983 | #99 | 2,765 | #3,230 | 13 |
| 1982 | #112 | 2,713 | #3,692 | 11 |
| 1981 | #114 | 2,690 | #3,601 | 11 |
| 1980 | #124 | 2,497 | #3,838 | 10 |
| 1979 | #135 | 2,094 | #4,403 | 8 |
| 1978 | #155 | 1,764 | #5,059 | 6 |
| 1977 | #176 | 1,532 | — | |
| 1976 | #192 | 1,293 | — | |
| 1975 | #218 | 1,136 | — | |
| 1974 | #216 | 1,181 | #5,227 | 5 |
| 1973 | #243 | 1,042 | — | |
| 1972 | #309 | 781 | #4,986 | 5 |
| 1971 | #363 | 654 | — | |
| 1970 | #356 | 703 | #4,230 | 6 |
| 1969 | #372 | 623 | — | |
| 1968 | #422 | 501 | — | |
| 1967 | #430 | 475 | — | |
| 1966 | #453 | 430 | — | |
| 1965 | #483 | 387 | — | |
| 1964 | #511 | 367 | — | |
| 1963 | #531 | 334 | — | |
| 1962 | #640 | 249 | — | |
| 1961 | #697 | 226 | — | |
| 1960 | #694 | 215 | — | |
| 1959 | #708 | 199 | — | |
| 1958 | #844 | 146 | — | |
| 1957 | #805 | 158 | — | |
| 1956 | #792 | 156 | — | |
| 1955 | #727 | 170 | — | |
| 1954 | #706 | 173 | — | |
| 1953 | #849 | 120 | — | |
| 1952 | #791 | 130 | — | |
| 1951 | #725 | 145 | — | |
| 1950 | #803 | 117 | — | |
| 1949 | #903 | 96 | — | |
| 1948 | #1,049 | 71 | — | |
| 1947 | #1,318 | 48 | — | |
| 1946 | #1,220 | 50 | — | |
| 1945 | #1,374 | 34 | — | |
| 1944 | #1,381 | 34 | — | |
| 1943 | #1,228 | 43 | — | |
| 1942 | #1,101 | 51 | — | |
| 1941 | #1,696 | 22 | — | |
| 1940 | #1,682 | 22 | — | |
| 1939 | #1,378 | 29 | — | |
| 1938 | #1,752 | 20 | — | |
| 1937 | #2,196 | 14 | — | |
| 1936 | #3,701 | 6 | — | |
| 1935 | #1,606 | 22 | — | |
| 1934 | #1,651 | 21 | — | |
| 1933 | #1,906 | 17 | — | |
| 1932 | #2,490 | 12 | — | |
| 1931 | #2,205 | 14 | — | |
| 1930 | #3,055 | 9 | — | |
| 1929 | #2,437 | 13 | — | |
| 1928 | #4,195 | 6 | — | |
| 1927 | #2,256 | 16 | — | |
| 1926 | #3,269 | 9 | — | |
| 1925 | #1,946 | 20 | — | |
| 1924 | #3,393 | 9 | — | |
| 1923 | #2,091 | 18 | — | |
| 1922 | #3,379 | 9 | — | |
| 1921 | #3,666 | 8 | — | |
| 1920 | #2,899 | 11 | — | |
| 1919 | #2,384 | 14 | — | |
| 1918 | #2,822 | 11 | — | |
| 1917 | #4,083 | 6 | — | |
| 1916 | #3,031 | 9 | — | |
| 1915 | #3,795 | 6 | — | |
| 1914 | — | — | ||
| 1913 | — | — | ||
| 1912 | — | — | ||
| 1911 | — | — | ||
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| 1889 | — | — | ||
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| 1886 | — | — | ||
| 1885 | — | — | ||
| 1884 | — | — | ||
| 1883 | — | — | ||
| 1882 | — | — | ||
| 1881 | — | — | ||
| 1880 | — | — | ||
The first year at least five girls were named Bethany! It came in at #3,795, and was given to 6 baby girls.
Quietest stretch: 1915–1917, when fewer than 10 girls a year got the name.
Where Bethany is popular in 1972
- Rank in state
- Top 10
- 11–50
- 51–100
- 101–500
- 501+
- Not published
Hover or tap a state for its numbers.
- Rhode Island#61 · 1 in 200
- Maine#61 · 1 in 252
- Wyoming#92 · 1 in 290
- New Hampshire#105 · 1 in 404
- Kentucky#164 · 1 in 792
Best ever in a state: #23 in Rhode Island, 1979.
Show every state
| State | Rank | Births | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Maine | #61 | 26 | 1 in 252 |
| Rhode Island | #61 | 26 | 1 in 200 |
| Wyoming | #92 | 6 | 1 in 290 |
| New Hampshire | #105 | 11 | 1 in 404 |
| Kentucky | #164 | 30 | 1 in 792 |
| Oregon | #175 | 16 | 1 in 790 |
| Massachusetts | #179 | 33 | 1 in 1,037 |
| Connecticut | #194 | 15 | 1 in 1,055 |
| Minnesota | #196 | 21 | 1 in 1,146 |
| Michigan | #203 | 55 | 1 in 1,125 |
| Ohio | #205 | 69 | 1 in 1,079 |
| Nebraska | #227 | 8 | 1 in 1,169 |
| West Virginia | #230 | 10 | 1 in 1,219 |
| Mississippi | #254 | 13 | 1 in 1,333 |
| Tennessee | #256 | 19 | 1 in 1,490 |
| Alabama | #257 | 17 | 1 in 1,420 |
| Maryland | #257 | 14 | 1 in 1,470 |
| Utah | #268 | 8 | 1 in 1,316 |
| Pennsylvania | #276 | 43 | 1 in 1,677 |
| Virginia | #287 | 16 | 1 in 1,850 |
| Arizona | #301 | 10 | 1 in 1,447 |
| North Carolina | #313 | 18 | 1 in 2,039 |
| Colorado | #318 | 9 | 1 in 1,749 |
| Missouri | #323 | 15 | 1 in 2,085 |
| Wisconsin | #324 | 11 | 1 in 2,500 |
| Illinois | #326 | 38 | 1 in 1,963 |
| Iowa | #333 | 7 | 1 in 2,490 |
| Kansas | #335 | 6 | 1 in 2,054 |
| Indiana | #367 | 13 | 1 in 2,849 |
| Louisiana | #373 | 12 | 1 in 2,210 |
| Arkansas | #396 | 5 | 1 in 2,617 |
| New York | #400 | 44 | 1 in 2,519 |
| South Carolina | #401 | 7 | 1 in 2,744 |
| California | #425 | 52 | 1 in 2,636 |
| Georgia | #434 | 11 | 1 in 3,271 |
| Washington | #495 | 5 | 1 in 3,838 |
| Florida | #567 | 10 | 1 in 4,448 |
| Texas | #597 | 21 | 1 in 4,589 |
| New Jersey | #633 | 7 | 1 in 5,819 |
| Alaska | — | — | — |
| Delaware | — | — | — |
| District of Columbia | — | — | — |
| Hawaii | — | — | — |
| Idaho | — | — | — |
| Montana | — | — | — |
| Nevada | — | — | — |
| New Mexico | — | — | — |
| North Dakota | — | — | — |
| Oklahoma | — | — | — |
| South Dakota | — | — | — |
| Vermont | — | — | — |
Ranks are within each state; “1 in N” is out of the girls born there that year. The SSA only publishes a name in a state when 5 or more babies of one sex got it.
See more about Bethany
- 26 spots since 2024 (#725 → #751)
- 150 spots since 2020 (#601 → #751)
- 336 spots since 2015 (#415 → #751)
- Biggest jump: 146 spots in 1949 (#1,049 → #903)
- Biggest drop: 78 spots in 2019 (#474 → #552)
- Debuted 1915
- Peaked 1987 at #87 (3,294 births)
- Births halved by 2003, 16 yrs later
- Top 10: never
- Top 100: 6 yrs · run 1983–1988
- Top 1,000: 77 yrs · run 1949–2025
- Highest: 1 in 528 girls born in 1987 were named Bethany (0.19%)
- Latest: 1 in 4,440 girls born in 2025 (0.02%)
- 29.1% of all girls named Bethany (29,331) were born in this decade
Show by decade
| Decade | Births | Best rank | Avg rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1910s | 46 | #2,384 (1919) | #3,223 |
| 1920s | 119 | #1,946 (1925) | #2,953 |
| 1930s | 164 | #1,378 (1939) | #2,194 |
| 1940s | 471 | #903 (1949) | #1,295 |
| 1950s | 1,514 | #706 (1954) | #775 |
| 1960s | 3,807 | #372 (1969) | #523 |
| 1970s | 12,180 | #135 (1979) | #236 |
| 1980s | 29,331 | #87 (1987) | #101 |
| 1990s | 27,753 | #107 (1990) | #119 |
| 2000s | 15,369 | #151 (2000) | #232 |
| 2010s | 7,615 | #350 (2011) | #425 |
| 2020s | 2,533 | #601 (2020) | #683 |
All figures count published births only (names given to at least 5 girls in a year). Registrations before 1937 are incomplete, so early shares and totals run low.
Bethany in 1972
Top girls' names in 1972
Top boys' names in 1972
More about 1972
girls
1,521,244 girls got a published name in 1972; 1 in 1,948 of them was named Bethany, which outranked 96.8% of the 9,666 girls' names that year. The ten most popular names covered 17.6% of girls (24.6% in 1880, 7.0% in 2025).
Among names in the top 1,000 of either year.
boys
1,621,608 boys got a published name in 1972; 1 in 324,322 of them was named Bethany, which outranked 13.3% of the 5,751 boys' names that year. The ten most popular names covered 26.5% of boys (44.2% in 1880, 8.0% in 2025).
Tied with 765 names at #4,986; 3 shown. Tied names share a rank, as in SSA's lists.
Among names in the top 1,000 of either year.