Given name
Bethan
“house of figs”·“from the house of figs”
Bethan is a variant of Bethany. Interpretations include “house of figs” and “from the house of figs” (Hebrew). These may reflect different naming traditions.
Meaning & origin
What it means
Bethan is a variant of Bethany. Interpretations include “house of figs” and “from the house of figs” (Hebrew). These may reflect different naming traditions.
Explained through its name family
Where it comes from
Bethan is a variant of Bethany. An origin associated with Bethany is Hebrew.
Explained through its name family
How it developed
In English usage, Bethan is a short form of Bethany.
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1981. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin. In Welsh use, Bethan is an affectionate form of Beth. The history of Beth gives this family its wider story. Beth March, one of the four sisters in Louisa May Alcott’s Little Women, helped bring this short form of Elizabeth wider attention after the novel appeared in 1868.
Combines direct and name-family evidence
Bethan through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 89
- 0 boys · 89 girls
- Most popular year
- 1988
- 9 babies
- 2025
- 0
- Outside the ranked list
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- —
- Too few births to compare
By the numbers
The most recent published U.S. birth count for girls is 5 in 2012. Later missing counts do not mean the name went unused. Its largest published annual count for girls was 9 in 1988. Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 300 as a first name in 2020.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
Bethan’s family of names
Bethan is an affectionate form of Beth. Bethan has a related form in Bethany. In English usage, Bethan is a short form of Bethany.
The ring: nicknames and forms.
Nicknames & forms 2
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
People named Bethan
- Bethan WrightEnglish actress and modelborn 1996
- Bethan HuwsBritish artist (born 1961)
- Beth WinterBritish politician (born 1974)
- Bethan GwanasWelsh language authorborn 1962
- Bethan RoeEnglish footballerborn 1999
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Similar names
If you love Bethan, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
Jany
“God is gracious”
>99% girls
Justene
“one who is just and upright”
>99% girls
Porscha
“piglike woman; an offering”
>99% girls
Allyce
“noble” · “kind”
>99% girls
Sharne
“rose of Sharon” · “from the plains; a flowering shrub”
>99% girls
Gerica
“one who rules with the spear”
>99% girls
Jinna
“God is gracious”
>99% girls
Porsha
“piglike woman; an offering”
>99% girls