Meaning & origin
A reliable meaning for Bethlehem isn’t established in our sources yet. Rather than guess, we show what is recorded: how the name is used, how often, and the names it’s connected to.
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1985. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin.
From dated birth records
Bethlehem through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 472
- 0 boys · 472 girls
- Most popular year
- 2015
- 24 babies
- 2025
- 9
- #10,228 for girls
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- −34%
- Easing
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 9 U.S. birth records for girls, ranking No. 10,228 among girls’ names. Average annual use for girls was 34.3% lower in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. Its largest published annual count for girls was 24 in 2015. Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 872 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.
Bethlehem’s family of names
See also 5
Names our sources mention alongside this one. They are related in story or meaning, not forms of this name.
People named Bethlehem
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Similar names
If you love Bethlehem, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.