Bethel
Bethel is given to both girls and boys: 45 girls and 6 boys were given it in 2025 (#3,405 among girls’ names and #10,863 among boys’, #5,545 among all names counting both); 6,237 Americans have been recorded with it since 1890 (Social Security Administration, published May 2026).
An estimated 2,530 Americans named Bethel and born in the U.S. are alive in 2026 (41% of everyone recorded); the median is 27 years old and half are between 11 and 69.
Girls and boys together; gaps are years SSA did not record (fewer than 5 births).
Births of Bethel by year: SSA national baby-name file, 1880-2025, published May 8, 2026. SSA’s notes on the data.
How popular is Bethel?
#3,405 among girls’ names, 2025
Bethel fell from #2,561 in 2015 to #3,405 in 2025 among girls’ names; its share of girls born fell from 39.2 to 28.0 per million.
150 babies in 1922, the peak
Bethel peaked in 1922, when 150 babies were given it (119 girls, #666 among girls’ names). The 51 births of 2025 (girls and boys) are 34% of that peak.
Births by sex.
| Year | Girls | Girls’ rank | Boys | Boys’ rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 45 | #3,405 | 6 | #10,863 |
| 2024 | 42 | #3,652 | under 5 | |
| 2023 | 42 | #3,644 | under 5 | |
| 2022 | 42 | #3,657 | 5 | #12,596 |
| 2021 | 63 | #2,726 | under 5 | |
| 2020 | 54 | #2,976 | 6 | #10,768 |
| 2019 | 57 | #2,896 | under 5 | |
| 2018 | 82 | #2,244 | under 5 | |
| 2017 | 66 | #2,637 | under 5 | |
| 2016 | 79 | #2,366 | 9 | #8,222 |
Every recorded year (135)
| Year | Girls | Girls’ rank | Boys | Boys’ rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 70 | #2,561 | under 5 | |
| 2014 | 59 | #2,892 | under 5 | |
| 2013 | 50 | #3,225 | 6 | #10,899 |
| 2012 | 53 | #3,135 | 5 | #12,498 |
| 2011 | 48 | #3,359 | under 5 | |
| 2010 | 47 | #3,420 | under 5 | |
| 2009 | 49 | #3,371 | under 5 | |
| 2008 | 38 | #4,102 | under 5 | |
| 2007 | 33 | #4,487 | under 5 | |
| 2006 | 24 | #5,572 | under 5 | |
| 2005 | 35 | #4,037 | under 5 | |
| 2004 | 38 | #3,751 | 7 | #9,042 |
| 2003 | 24 | #5,105 | under 5 | |
| 2002 | 33 | #3,897 | under 5 | |
| 2001 | 24 | #4,851 | under 5 | |
| 2000 | 26 | #4,540 | under 5 | |
| 1999 | 14 | #6,871 | under 5 | |
| 1998 | 11 | #8,072 | under 5 | |
| 1997 | 12 | #7,332 | under 5 | |
| 1996 | 16 | #5,802 | under 5 | |
| 1994 | 12 | #7,152 | under 5 | |
| 1993 | 13 | #6,653 | under 5 | |
| 1992 | 10 | #8,127 | under 5 | |
| 1991 | 13 | #6,626 | under 5 | |
| 1990 | 10 | #7,934 | under 5 | |
| 1989 | 13 | #6,191 | under 5 | |
| 1988 | 15 | #5,349 | under 5 | |
| 1987 | 6 | #9,962 | under 5 | |
| 1986 | 10 | #6,651 | under 5 | |
| 1985 | 11 | #6,062 | under 5 | |
| 1984 | 11 | #5,934 | under 5 | |
| 1983 | 10 | #6,262 | 5 | #6,340 |
| 1982 | 8 | #7,546 | under 5 | |
| 1981 | 6 | #9,234 | under 5 | |
| 1980 | 17 | #4,342 | under 5 | |
| 1979 | 10 | #6,229 | under 5 | |
| 1978 | 9 | #6,437 | under 5 | |
| 1977 | 12 | #5,244 | 6 | #5,191 |
| 1976 | 15 | #4,174 | under 5 | |
| 1975 | 15 | #4,160 | 6 | #4,853 |
| 1974 | 7 | #6,965 | under 5 | |
| 1973 | 21 | #3,127 | under 5 | |
| 1972 | 10 | #5,137 | under 5 | |
| 1971 | 16 | #3,801 | under 5 | |
| 1970 | 15 | #3,885 | 5 | #4,793 |
| 1969 | 16 | #3,473 | 8 | #3,337 |
| 1968 | 17 | #3,183 | under 5 | |
| 1967 | 33 | #2,043 | 7 | #3,268 |
| 1966 | 26 | #2,360 | under 5 | |
| 1965 | 19 | #2,843 | 6 | #3,574 |
| 1964 | 25 | #2,482 | under 5 | |
| 1963 | 26 | #2,372 | under 5 | |
| 1962 | 22 | #2,609 | 7 | #3,336 |
| 1961 | 17 | #3,067 | 5 | #4,118 |
| 1960 | 23 | #2,518 | under 5 | |
| 1959 | 14 | #3,265 | 7 | #3,310 |
| 1958 | 28 | #2,117 | 5 | #4,004 |
| 1957 | 25 | #2,222 | 6 | #3,598 |
| 1956 | 19 | #2,630 | 10 | #2,641 |
| 1955 | 26 | #2,111 | 9 | #2,784 |
| 1954 | 22 | #2,305 | 8 | #2,969 |
| 1953 | 19 | #2,433 | 6 | #3,460 |
| 1952 | 24 | #2,075 | 11 | #2,389 |
| 1951 | 39 | #1,505 | 19 | #1,728 |
| 1950 | 34 | #1,602 | 14 | #2,036 |
| 1949 | 25 | #1,921 | 10 | #2,466 |
| 1948 | 36 | #1,548 | 10 | #2,456 |
| 1947 | 34 | #1,635 | 15 | #1,998 |
| 1946 | 40 | #1,378 | 9 | #2,550 |
| 1945 | 31 | #1,452 | 10 | #2,261 |
| 1944 | 33 | #1,402 | 12 | #2,087 |
| 1943 | 54 | #1,087 | 17 | #1,771 |
| 1942 | 38 | #1,300 | 8 | #2,731 |
| 1941 | 49 | #1,042 | 18 | #1,640 |
| 1940 | 52 | #990 | 20 | #1,524 |
| 1939 | 49 | #1,010 | 12 | #2,065 |
| 1938 | 55 | #956 | 21 | #1,478 |
| 1937 | 47 | #1,037 | 25 | #1,348 |
| 1936 | 59 | #888 | 19 | #1,549 |
| 1935 | 62 | #874 | 14 | #1,936 |
| 1934 | 64 | #857 | 19 | #1,611 |
| 1933 | 65 | #826 | 9 | #2,560 |
| 1932 | 74 | #791 | 12 | #2,206 |
| 1931 | 69 | #820 | 16 | #1,856 |
| 1930 | 62 | #927 | 36 | #1,174 |
| 1929 | 69 | #856 | 21 | #1,619 |
| 1928 | 71 | #866 | 18 | #1,834 |
| 1927 | 99 | #723 | 18 | #1,874 |
| 1926 | 86 | #777 | 17 | #1,919 |
| 1925 | 93 | #768 | 32 | #1,282 |
| 1924 | 116 | #688 | 32 | #1,292 |
| 1923 | 108 | #704 | 26 | #1,463 |
| 1922 | 119 | #666 | 31 | #1,313 |
| 1921 | 112 | #699 | 24 | #1,552 |
| 1920 | 104 | #711 | 25 | #1,509 |
| 1919 | 105 | #680 | 39 | #1,100 |
| 1918 | 113 | #673 | 33 | #1,214 |
| 1917 | 116 | #632 | 22 | #1,537 |
| 1916 | 104 | #667 | 33 | #1,140 |
| 1915 | 96 | #669 | 22 | #1,464 |
| 1914 | 79 | #651 | 28 | #1,076 |
| 1913 | 64 | #646 | 17 | #1,261 |
| 1912 | 54 | #678 | 13 | #1,363 |
| 1911 | 27 | #828 | 6 | #1,554 |
| 1910 | 40 | #672 | under 5 | |
| 1909 | 36 | #663 | 7 | #1,168 |
| 1908 | 30 | #711 | 5 | #1,393 |
| 1907 | 32 | #667 | 5 | #1,362 |
| 1906 | 27 | #707 | 5 | #1,264 |
| 1905 | 25 | #718 | 7 | #1,011 |
| 1904 | 21 | #780 | under 5 | |
| 1903 | 20 | #762 | under 5 | |
| 1902 | 21 | #758 | under 5 | |
| 1901 | 20 | #723 | under 5 | |
| 1900 | 30 | #640 | 5 | #1,332 |
| 1899 | 18 | #759 | under 5 | |
| 1898 | 17 | #823 | 9 | #748 |
| 1897 | 18 | #739 | under 5 | |
| 1896 | 14 | #874 | under 5 | |
| 1895 | 14 | #864 | under 5 | |
| 1894 | 10 | #1,005 | under 5 | |
| 1893 | 19 | #663 | under 5 | |
| 1892 | 13 | #834 | 5 | #1,082 |
| 1891 | 12 | #800 | 5 | #989 |
| 1890 | 6 | #1,228 | under 5 |
Ranks: girls’ names and boys’ names ranked separately in each year’s SSA file; “under 5” is a year SSA did not list the name for that sex.
Is Bethel a boy’s or a girl’s name?
Of the 6,237 Americans recorded as Bethel, 84% are girls and 16% boys.
Years with fewer than 20 babies given the name are left blank.
Girls and boys named Bethel: the SSA national file counts each sex separately.
How many people are named Bethel, and how old are they?
2,530 alive in 2026, estimated
That is 41% of the 6,237 Americans ever recorded as Bethel. The median Bethel alive today is 27 years old; half are between 11 and 69.
The 2020 Census counted 2,849 people named Bethel (2,465 women and girls, 384 men and boys). SSA’s births carried forward to Census day, April 1, 2020, predict 2,594 born in the U.S. The Census count is 10% above that prediction. Possible reasons: the Census counts people born abroad, whom SSA’s files leave out, and it records the name people give, which SSA may have recorded under another spelling or as part of a compound name.
Alive today, by age
Alive today, by generation
| Generation | Born | Alive |
|---|---|---|
| Silent Generation | 1928-1945 | 315 |
| Baby Boomers | 1946-1964 | 471 |
| Generation X | 1965-1980 | 271 |
| Millennials | 1981-1996 | 164 |
| Generation Z | 1997-2012 | 516 |
| Generation Alpha | 2013-2025 | 778 |
An estimate, not a count. SSA’s files count people born in the United States who received a Social Security number, so anyone born abroad is not in them; before 1937 most people got a number as adults, and their survival is counted from that age.
Living estimate: SSA births carried forward with the survival rates in SSA’s cohort life tables (2024 Trustees Report) for each birth year and sex. How the estimate is made. Count: Census Bureau, first names in the 2020 Census (released April 14, 2026; names reported 100 or more times, with the Bureau’s disclosure-avoidance adjustment).
Where are babies named Bethel born?
The states with the most babies named Bethel are Kentucky, Texas and Michigan, with 38% of its births recorded by state since 1910; Kentucky is not among the ten states with the most births.
| State | Since 1910 | Rank, girls | vs. national |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kentucky | 279 | not ranked | 2.1× |
| Texas | 189 | not ranked | 0.5× |
| Michigan | 159 | not ranked | 0.7× |
| California | 154 | not ranked | 0.4× |
| Tennessee | 141 | not ranked | 1.0× |
| West Virginia | 120 | not ranked | 1.4× |
| Virginia | 72 | not ranked | 0.5× |
| Arkansas | 58 | not ranked | 0.6× |
| Missouri | 55 | not ranked | 0.4× |
| Maryland | 48 | not ranked | 0.5× |
Where Bethel is more common than its national share predicts
Relative to its national share, Bethel is most over-represented in Kentucky: since 1910 it was given 2.1 times as often there as its national share each year would predict.
States: SSA state file, 1910-2025, published May 8, 2026; births count girls and boys together, and the rank is among girls’ names in the state in 2025. The file leaves out any state and year with fewer than 5 babies of the name, so small states are undercounted; each ratio compares the state’s births of Bethel with the births its national share predicts year by year, for states with at least 100 births of the name.
Names spelled alike
Of these 2 names spelled alike, given to 6,292 babies since 1880, Bethel is the most given (99% of them). In 2025 it was given to 51 of their 51 babies (100%), again the most given.
Spelled alike: names in the SSA national file with the same pattern of letters and sounds and at most two letters apart, and Wiktionary’s listed forms; births since 1880 and in 2025, and each name’s peak year, from the SSA national file, published May 8, 2026. Some are separate names, not spellings of one.
Names that rose and fell in the same decades as Bethel
Names whose births rose and fell across the same decades, measured on each decade’s share of births.
Similar histories: each decade’s share of births, from the SSA national file, 1880-2025, published May 8, 2026. SSA’s notes on the data.
More about Bethel and names like it
- Compare Bethel and BethylBirths, ranks, peak and the living estimate side by side.
- The most given names of the 1920sBethel peaked in 1922.
- Kentucky’s most given namesThe state where SSA recorded the most babies named Bethel since 1910.
- The top names of 1922The year the most babies were named Bethel.
- The names of Generation AlphaMost people named Bethel alive today were born 2013-2025.
- Names starting with BMost given first.