Girls' name · since 1985
Bethlehem
Since 1985, U.S. Social Security records show 472 babies named Bethlehem, peaking in 2015. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.
- #12,286 of 72,339
- all-time among girls
- #10,348 of 17,297
- 2025 SSA year
- 472
- born since 1985
- 2010s
- peak decade
Yes -- Bethlehem is the #10348 most popular girls' name in the U.S. today, with 472 recorded since 1985.
Social Security Administration records show Bethlehem recorded 472 times among girls since 1985, holding rank #10348 nationally today, ahead of 40% of girls, peaking in the 2010s. This profile derives year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1985 to 2025.
- #12,286 of 72,339 all-time among girls
- #10,348 of 17,297 2025 SSA year
- 472 born since 1985
- 2010s peak decade
Data updated Aug 2026
The verdict
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Bethlehem ranks #12,286 of 72,339 girls' names by all-time recorded births (highest first) and #10,348 of 17,297 among girls' names in 2025. 472 born since 1985, peaking in the 2010s.
- #12,286 of 72,339
- all-time among girls
- #10,348 of 17,297
- 2025 SSA year
- 472
- born since 1985
- 2010s
- peak decade
Bethlehem's 472 recorded births place it above 83% of the 72,339 girls names in the full SSA archive.
The state file records this name in 1 jurisdictions, led by California.
How Bethlehem compares
472 Top 46% higher than 54% of 17,297 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
Bethlehem's all-time total is 26% above the median girls name, and Olivia still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Bethlehem | Median girls name (Kyann) | #1 girls name (Olivia) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 472 | 376 | 567,345 |
| Peak-year births | 24 | 21 | 19,840 |
Bethlehem's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting Bethlehem's full recorded timeline at 2007, 56% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 44% in the earlier half -- a fairly even split across the full record. Its quietest year on record was 1985, with just 5 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 2015 peak of 24 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
Bethlehem popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1985–2025
- Peak year (2015)
- 24
- Annual births at peak, across 41 years of records
Bethlehem by decade
2010s is the heaviest window (160 births, 34% of the file).
2010s was Bethlehem's strongest decade.
160 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 34% of all-time use.
Bethlehem births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1980s 13
1980s
13 births
- 1990s
1990s
96 births
- 2000s
2000s
148 births
- 2010s
2010s
160 births
- 2020s 55
2020s
55 births
What this shows Peak: 2010s at 160 births (34% of all-time use).
Bethlehem by state
Where Bethlehem concentrates geographically, total births since 1985
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 10 | 2.1% |
10 of 472 births nationwide.
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Bethlehem? ▼
Where does Bethlehem sit in the SSA name archive? ▼
When was Bethlehem most popular? ▼
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What to do with Bethlehem's data
- Bethlehem's usage has stayed within range of its 2010s decade-level peak (160 total births) through the 2020s (55) -- a comparatively stable name, not a fading trend.
- California records the most Bethlehems (10 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. California names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Bethlehem
Nearby Names Like Bethlehem
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Bethlehem
Compare Bethlehem side by side: Bethlehem vs Betty Bethlehem vs Beth Bethlehem vs Bethany
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Bethlehem
Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span
Two nationwide peer axes for Bethlehem: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.
Similar peak year (~2015)
Similar record span (~40 yrs)
Peak year is the single SSA year with the most births for that name; record span is first-to-latest year in the national files, not a recommendation or shared origin claim.
Data Sources
Data as of August 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, 1985–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
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 Bethlehem 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 August 2026.