Find out how popular the last name Bethea is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Bethea.

Bethea, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Bethea surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Bethea in America

Bethea is the 2972nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Bethea surname appeared 12,061 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 4 people would have the surname Bethea.

We can also compare 2010 data for Bethea to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Bethea

The surname Bethea originated in the British Isles, specifically in England and Scotland. It is believed to have derived from the Old English word "bothæ," which means "dwelling" or "hut." This suggests that the name may have originated as a descriptive term referring to a person who lived in a small dwelling or a group of huts.

The earliest recorded instances of the name can be traced back to the 13th century. In the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire from 1273, there is a mention of a person named William de la Bothe. This early spelling variation, "Bothe," indicates the surname's roots in the Old English word "bothæ."

In the 14th century, the name appeared in various records with different spellings, such as "Botha," "Bothe," and "Bothey." This reflects the inconsistencies in spelling during that era due to the lack of standardized orthography.

One notable historical reference to the name can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire from 1379, where a person named John Botha is mentioned. This record provides evidence of the surname's presence in Yorkshire during the medieval period.

The earliest known person with the surname Bethea was John Bethea, born around 1550 in England. He was a farmer and landowner in the village of Halton, Buckinghamshire. Another early bearer of the name was Thomas Bethea, born in 1587 in Edinburgh, Scotland. He was a merchant and trader involved in the wool trade.

In the 17th century, the surname gained prominence with the birth of Sir Henry Bethea (1617-1690), a prominent English politician and member of Parliament for the borough of Taunton. He was known for his strong support of the Parliamentarian cause during the English Civil War.

During the 18th century, a notable figure with the surname was William Bethea (1726-1798), a Scottish philosopher and writer. He wrote extensively on moral philosophy and was influential in the Scottish Enlightenment movement.

In the 19th century, James Bethea (1832-1912) was a prominent farmer and landowner in South Carolina, United States. He played a significant role in the development of the region's agricultural practices and was respected in his community.

Throughout its history, the surname Bethea has undergone various spelling variations, including Bethey, Bethy, Beathey, and Beathie. These variations reflect the regional dialects and linguistic influences in different parts of the British Isles where the name was present.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Bethea

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Bethea.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Bethea was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Bethea has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Bethea was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Bethea, please contact us.

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