Total births
472
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.
- #9783
- among girls today
- 472
- born since 1985
- 2010s
- peak decade
- 45%
- more common than other girls
Yes -- Bethlehem is the #9783 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 #9783 nationally today, ahead of 45% 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.
- #9783 among girls today
- 472 born since 1985
- 2010s peak decade
- 45% more common than other girls
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Bethlehem is currently the #9783 girls' name in America, more common than 45% of girls - 472 born since 1985, peaking in the 2010s.
- #9783
- among girls today
- 472
- born since 1985
- 2010s
- peak decade
- 45%
- more common than other girls
Bethlehem vs. every other girls name in current SSA rankings
#9783
of 17,726 girls in use
More common than 45% of names given to girls today.
2010s
Peak decade
34% of everyone ever named Bethlehem was born in this single decade.
2015
Single peak year
24 babies were named Bethlehem in 2015 - its busiest year on record.
How Bethlehem compares
472 Top 46% higher than 54% 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
Bethlehem's all-time total is 24% above the median girls name, and Olivia still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Bethlehem | Median girls name (Emerly) | #1 girls name (Olivia) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 472 | 382 | 567,345 |
| Peak-year births | 24 | 48 | 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 at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
2015
Current rank
#9,783
Active since
1985
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
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
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% |
California share of Bethlehem's total US births 2.1%
10 of 472 births nationwide.
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Bethlehem? ▼
472 babies have been named Bethlehem since 1985. It currently ranks #9783 among girls. The peak year was 2015 with 24 births.
When was Bethlehem most popular? ▼
Bethlehem was most popular in the 2010s decade with 160 total births. The single peak year was 2015.
Where is Bethlehem most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Bethlehem are California (10 births).
How long has the name Bethlehem been used? ▼
The SSA has tracked Bethlehem since 1985 -- 41 years through the most recent 2025 data.
What names are similar to Bethlehem? ▼
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 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
- 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 Bethlehem
Nearby Names Like Bethlehem
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Bethlehem
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 Bethlehem side by side: Bethlehem vs Betty Bethlehem vs Beth Bethlehem vs Bethany
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Bethlehem
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, 1985–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Bethlehem: #9783 Girls' Name - 472 Births, Peak 2015." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/bethlehem. 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 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 June 2026.