The Baby Name Wizard

Reader Contributions

Contribute to, or edit, this collection of community wisdom on the name Bethany!

Comments and insights on the name Bethany: | Edit

The baby name book that my parents chose my name from had the meaning of Bethany as “new beginnings” which I have found in a few other places. When I told my mom that my name’s more commonly means “house of figs” she said she never would have chosen it if that meaning was in the baby’s name book instead. I find it funny that just because of one baby book out of hundreds that give that meaning I have my name.

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My mother loved the name Bethany ever since she read the Bible. She named my older Brother Jonathan for the same reason.

Bethany is especially popular among the Evangelical Christian set, and was especially popular during the '80s. Along with Josiah, Bethany very much coded as a name that signaled parents' beliefs. (Possibly this was because of Josiah and Bethany Green, the young children of gospel musician Keith Green, who were killed with their father in a plane crash in 1982.)

Personal experiences with the name Bethany: | Edit

I was born almost 20 years before the "Bethany trend" that hit in the '80's (born in 1965), and never met another Bethany until I was in college. Especially over the phone, people almost always mis-hear my name as "Stephanie," "Tiffany"--and I used to have a lot of people thinking I was saying "Destiny", although that doesn't happen so much in the past couple of decades. I was called "Beth" in grade school, which I always disliked, as it only seems to rhyme with "death"--unpleasant--but in college I began to firmly request (sometimes this had to be repeated) to be called by the full name. When I first looked up the meaning in Naming Dictionaries (before "baby name books" came out), the meaning was listed as "house of sorrow," which again isn't too happy an association, although my mother simply found it in the Bible, as the place where Mary & Martha lived, where Lazarus was raised from the dead, and where Jesus ascended to heaven, so she didn't realize it might have a meaning that wasn't happy. As a young adult, I began to meet a bunch of young girls named Bethany, and I realized that the trend had probably evolved from the HUGE "Brittany"(all different spellings) trend that peaked just before these Bethany's were born--apparently people were looking for a similar name to Brittany, but not exactly the same. I always thought it was ironic, and if they knew what it meant, they probably wouldn't have chosen it. But then, when I was pregnant and considering names, I found baby name books listing the name as meaning "house of God" (which it certainly does not mean--"Bethel" means "house of God"). I guess "house of figs" is better (meaning fruitful; having plenty) than "house of sorrow," but I still would very much like to talk to someone who actually is a Hebrew scholar and knows what the real, original meaning is, since there have clearly been some very different listings in different places. I truly do believe that names, and the associations people place on them, really do shape the quality of our lives, so if you are considering this name for a baby, I would really recommend getting to the bottom of the "House of Figs"/"House of Sorrow" question. It's sad to be a teenager and discover that the label for you as a person means "House of Sorrow."

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My name is Bethany - I was born in 1982. I've always liked my name except with my last name, which is also 3 syllables, I feel like it can be a bit of a tongue twister. My family never called me Beth, always Bethy (or Bam, my initials), and I've never identified with the name Beth at all -- it might as well be an entirely different name to me, though people inevitably want to shorten it. Since Bethy sounds very young and cute-sy though, as an adult I go by my full name, w/ friends and family continuing to call me Bethy or Bam.
Growing up I was typically the only Bethany in my grade. I guess it's hard to be objective when a name is yours, but especially now that I'm older I get a lot of compliments on it, which always surprise me because I never thought much about it one way or another. The only bad connotations I can remember from when I was younger was a girl in middle-school saying it was prissy and more than one boy turned it into 'Barfany' trying to pick on me ;-) Also - people frequently think I'm saying 'Stephanie,' 'Brittany,' or 'Tiffany' - I'd say 2 out of 3 times when I introduce myself to someone I have to repeat my name a second time.
My older sister's name is Megan, and I know of at least one other Megan/Bethany set. I'm glad to see that Bethany is considered more classic - it seems to be on par with names like Caroline, Audrey, etc rather than other names that peaked in the 80's that are considered more dated. After having a name that's not unheard of but not too common, either, I think I'd like to give my kids the same kind of names -- my favorite boy's name is Owen, and my favorite girl's name is Miriam (though I graciously let my sister have it for her daughter!! ;-)
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I was also born in 1982 like the other contributor and have had the same problem with people remembering or hearing my name correctly. I would say on first meetings people usually think my name is Stephanie, but when it is a second meeting they usually call by Brittany. I still have someone at work that when they are distracted will call my Brittany.

I also never identified with Beth as a nickname. I was always Bethany and when I was with close family or friends I would be Bee. I never had anyone who really made fun of my first name but I have a last name that is very easy to make fun of and was Bethany Hiccup.

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I was born in 1991. My brother chose Owen as his kid's name! oh, and thank goodness I'm not the only one who was called barfany!

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Yay! I feel like I belong! I was born in 1987 and like previous comments, I never let people call me Beth (I feared people would think that my name was Elisabeth). I like my name but was always having to repeat it in introductions multiple times (with all the people calling me Stephanie it is surprising that I didn't eventually start believing them :)) and while I was spared being called "barfany" I was often embarrassed when I was called "Bethyboo". My close friends call me bethy and I don't mind, but professionally I will always determine to be called Bethany.

Nicknames for Bethany: | Edit

Beth

Bethie

Bethie-boo

Bethie-baby

B

Annie

Bert

Bertieb
betty

Boo

Meanings and history of the name Bethany: | Edit

It is a city near Jerusalem in Israel. It is also the place that Jesus' friends Mary and Martha lived in the Bible account.

Often cited as meaning: house of figs, house of the poor, fruitful (house full of figs/fruit makes a person fruitful), house of sorrow

Famous real-life people named Bethany: | Edit

Bethany Joy Lenz - singer, and actress on One Tree Hill (Haley James Scott)

Bethany in song, story & screen: | Edit

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