Bethany (given name)
Encyclopedia
Bethany is a feminine given name derived from a Biblical place name meaning "house of figs." Bethany was the town where Lazarus
lived in the New Testament
.
The name has been well-used in English-speaking
countries. It was the 50th most popular name for girls in England
and Wales
in 2007, having ranked as high as 11th most popular name in those countries in 1999. It was the 76th most popular name for girls in Scotland
in 2007. It ranked in the 100 most popular names for girls in the United States
during the 1980s, but has declined in popularity, falling to 292nd most popular name there in 2007.
Lazarus of Bethany
Lazarus of Bethany, also known as Saint Lazarus or Lazarus of the Four Days, is the subject of a prominent miracle attributed to Jesus in the Gospel of John, in which Jesus restores him to life four days after his death...
lived in the New Testament
New Testament
The New Testament is the second major division of the Christian biblical canon, the first such division being the much longer Old Testament....
.
The name has been well-used in English-speaking
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
countries. It was the 50th most popular name for girls in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
and Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
in 2007, having ranked as high as 11th most popular name in those countries in 1999. It was the 76th most popular name for girls in Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
in 2007. It ranked in the 100 most popular names for girls in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
during the 1980s, but has declined in popularity, falling to 292nd most popular name there in 2007.