Total births
5,221
Unisex name · since 1890
Bethel
5,221 babies named Bethel in U.S. Social Security records since 1890, with the highest year being 1922. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.
- #3643
- among girls today
- 5,221
- born since 1890
- 1920s
- peak decade
- 79%
- more common than other girls
Bethel currently ranks #3643 among unisex names in America, with 5,221 babies recorded since 1890.
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Bethel has been recorded 5,221 times among girls since 1890, currently ranked #3643 nationally and more common than 79% of girls, with its heaviest use in the 1920s. This profile covers year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution, all derived directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1890 to 2025.
- #3643 among girls today
- 5,221 born since 1890
- 1920s peak decade
- 79% more common than other girls
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Bethel is currently the #3643 unisex name in America, more common than 79% of girls - 5,221 born since 1890, peaking in the 1920s.
- #3643
- among girls today
- 5,221
- born since 1890
- 1920s
- peak decade
- 79%
- more common than other girls
Bethel vs. every other girls name in current SSA rankings
#3643
of 17,726 girls in use
More common than 79% of names given to girls today.
1920s
Peak decade
19% of everyone ever named Bethel was born in this single decade.
1922
Single peak year
119 babies were named Bethel in 1922 - its busiest year on record.
How Bethel compares
5,221 Top 13% higher than 87% of 17,726 names currently given to girls
Based on all-time total births among currently-ranked girls names. Names with fewer occurrences are grouped into wider buckets on the right.
Source U.S. Social Security Administration, national baby name data
How the numbers stack up
Bethel's all-time total is 14x the median girls name, and Olivia still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Bethel | Median girls name (Emerly) | #1 girls name (Olivia) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 5,221 | 382 | 567,345 |
| Peak-year births | 119 | 48 | 19,840 |
Bethel's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting Bethel's full recorded timeline at 1957, 36% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 64% in the earlier half -- the name was more prevalent in its earlier era than it is today. Its quietest year on record was 1890, with just 6 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 1922 peak of 119 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
Bethel at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
1922
Current rank
#3,643
Active since
1890
Bethel popularity over time - girls
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1890–2025
- Peak year (1922)
- 119
- Annual births at peak, across 136 years of records
Bethel popularity over time - boys
1,016 total births recorded since 1891 (Bethel as boys' name)
Bethel by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1920s was Bethel's strongest decade.
977 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 19% of all-time use.
Bethel births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1890s 141
1890s
141 births
- 1900s 262
1900s
262 births
- 1910s
1910s
798 births
- 1920s
1920s
977 births
- 1930s
1930s
606 births
- 1940s
1940s
392 births
- 1950s 250
1950s
250 births
- 1960s 224
1960s
224 births
- 1970s 130
1970s
130 births
- 1980s 107
1980s
107 births
- 1990s 111
1990s
111 births
- 2000s 324
2000s
324 births
- 2010s
2010s
611 births
- 2020s 288
2020s
288 births
What this shows Peak: 1920s at 977 births (19% of all-time use).
How Bethel compares to similarly-sized names
Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 girls names closest to Bethel's total volume
Bethel vs 15 similarly-sized girls names
Bethel by state
Where Bethel concentrates geographically, total births since 1890
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Kentucky | | 251 | 4.8% |
| #2 | Texas | | 184 | 3.5% |
| #3 | Michigan | | 159 | 3.0% |
| #4 | California | | 154 | 2.9% |
| #5 | West Virginia | | 120 | 2.3% |
| #6 | Virginia | | 72 | 1.4% |
| #7 | Arkansas | | 58 | 1.1% |
| #8 | Missouri | | 55 | 1.1% |
Kentucky share of Bethel's total US births 4.8%
Even split
251 of 5,221 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 28 reporting states.
Bethel appears in 28 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Bethel? ▼
Since 1890, Social Security records show 5,221 babies named Bethel. Today it holds rank #3643 among girls. Its busiest year on record was 1922, with 119 births.
When was Bethel most popular? ▼
Bethel was most popular in the 1920s decade with 977 total births. The single peak year was 1922.
Where is Bethel most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Bethel are Kentucky (251 births), Texas (184 births), Michigan (159 births).
Is Bethel a unisex name? ▼
Yes, Bethel is used for both boys and girls. As a girl's name it has 5,221 births, and as a boy's name it has 1,016 births.
How long has the name Bethel been used? ▼
The SSA has tracked Bethel since 1890 -- 136 years through the most recent 2025 data.
What names are similar to Bethel? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Betty, Beth, Bethany, Betsy, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for girls.
What to do with Bethel's data
- Bethel's decade-level peak was the 1920s (977 total births); usage has since declined to 288 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- Kentucky records the most Bethels (251 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. Kentucky names
- Weighing it against an alternative? Put two names side by side. Compare names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Bethel
Nearby Names Like Bethel
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Bethel
Betty Girl
#1012 1,001,238 births
Beth Girl
#3049 159,430 births
Bethany Girl
#725 100,902 births
Betsy Girl
#2415 48,947 births
Bettie Girl
#8443 38,395 births
Compare Bethel side by side: Bethel vs Betty Bethel vs Beth Bethel vs Bethany
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Bethel
Justina #3642
12,240 births · Peak 1990
Imelda #3644
7,476 births · Peak 1978
Candace #3641
84,938 births · Peak 1982
Seraphine #3645
751 births · Peak 2025
Delphine #3640
10,448 births · Peak 1958
Afton #3646
5,223 births · Peak 1983
Elva #3639
31,697 births · Peak 1918
Brady #3647
2,138 births · Peak 2021
Data Sources
Data as of June 2026. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA).
According to the Social Security Administration, this profile draws directly from the agency's public-use baby-name files (updated June 2026). See our methodology for the full extraction, aggregation, and privacy-suppression rules.
Primary: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names from Social Security Card Applications, National Data, 1890–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Bethel: #3643 Unisex Name - 5,221 Births, Peak 1922." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/bethel. Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Name Almanac is rendered directly from the Social Security Administration's public baby-name files, no number is typed in by an editor. This profile for Bethel draws directly on SSA national and state-level files, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.