Bethyl
A feminine name meaning "House of God" or "House of the Lord".
Name Census estimates that about 9 living Americans carry the first name Bethyl. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Bethyl today is around 71 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Bethyl births was 1927 (12 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Bethyl. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
Key insights
- • The typical person named Bethyl is about 71 years old today, placing it firmly among the names of earlier generations. Most living Bethyls were born before 1965.
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Bethyl. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
9
~ 1 in 38,083,815 Americans
Peak year
1927
12 babies that year
Average age
71
years old
1966 SSA rank
#6,649
Tracked since 1918
Popularity
Bethyl: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Bethyl from the 1910s through to the 1960s, spanning 5 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1920s, with 23 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1920s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Bethyl by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Bethyl during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Origin
Meaning and history of Bethyl
The name Bethyl is an ancient one, with its origins rooted in the Hebrew language and dating back to biblical times. Derived from the Hebrew words "beth" meaning "house" and "el" meaning "God," the name carries the connotation of "house of God" or "dwelling place of God."
In the Old Testament, Bethyl is mentioned as a place name, referring to a town in ancient Canaan where Jacob had a vision of a ladder reaching up to heaven. According to the Book of Genesis, Jacob set up a pillar of stone there and named the place Bethyl, which was later known as Bethel.
One of the earliest recorded individuals bearing the name Bethyl was Bethyl ben Nahor, a character mentioned in the Book of Genesis as the son of Nahor, Abraham's brother. While not much is known about his life, his name's inclusion in the biblical text highlights the antiquity of the name's usage.
Throughout history, the name Bethyl has been used across various cultures and faiths, often carrying spiritual or religious connotations. In the Middle Ages, a notable figure named Bethyl of Dol lived in Brittany, France, during the 6th century. She was a Christian saint and abbess known for her piety and charitable works.
During the Renaissance period, Bethyl Traheron was an English Protestant reformer and author who lived from 1510 to 1558. She is recognized for her contributions to the English Reformation and her writings on religious subjects.
In more recent times, Bethyl Buell was an American author and poet who lived from 1922 to 2018. She was known for her works exploring themes of spirituality and nature, and her poetry was widely acclaimed.
Another notable individual with the name Bethyl was Bethyl Buchanan, a Scottish-born Canadian singer and songwriter who lived from 1930 to 2006. She gained popularity in the folk music scene and was recognized for her contributions to the preservation of traditional Scottish songs.
While the name Bethyl may not be as commonly used today as it once was, its rich historical significance and biblical roots continue to make it a unique and meaningful choice for those seeking a name with deep spiritual connotations.
People
Bethyl + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Bethyl as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with B
Other first names starting with B with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Bethyl: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Bethyl?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 9 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Bethyl going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 38,083,815 US residents.
Is Bethyl a common name?
We classify Bethyl as "Very Rare". It ranks above 25.5% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 55 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Bethyl most popular?
The single biggest year for Bethyl was 1927, when 12 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Bethyl is about 71 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Bethyl in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Bethyl a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Bethyl in the SSA data are female. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Is Bethyl still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Bethyl in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Bethyl can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How many Americans are named Bethyl?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.