2000
#4,483
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 7,285
First available Census row
Per 100,000 2.70
Rare Last name
Bethel
A topographic surname referring to someone who lived near a bethel, meaning "house of God" in Hebrew.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 8,159 Americans carry the last name Bethel. That puts it at #4,817 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 2.38 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 42,009 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Bethel surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Bethel with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
8.2K
1 in 42,009
Census rank
#4,817
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
2.4
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
7.1K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 7,115 bearers of the surname Bethel in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 2.38 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 4817th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Bethel, the largest self-reported group is White at 55.7%. The next largest groups are Black (33.5%) and Two or More Races (5.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Bethel
The surname Bethel has its origins in the Hebrew language and can be traced back to ancient times. The name is derived from the Hebrew words "Beit" meaning "house" and "El" referring to God, thus translating to "House of God." This name was likely given to those who lived near a place of worship or a holy site.
The earliest known reference to the surname Bethel dates back to the 12th century in England. During this period, many individuals began adopting surnames based on their place of residence, occupation, or other distinguishing characteristics. The name Bethel may have been used to identify someone who lived near a church or a prominent religious site.
In the Domesday Book, a invaluable record of landowners in England compiled in 1086, there are no direct mentions of the surname Bethel. However, there are references to places called "Bethel," which may have been the origin of the surname for those residing in or near these locations.
One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname Bethel was Sir Walter de Bethel, a English knight who lived in the 13th century. Another notable figure was John Bethel (c. 1552-1625), an English Puritan minister and author who was a prominent figure in the early days of the Massachusetts Bay Colony.
In the 17th century, the surname Bethel gained prominence in colonial America, particularly in Virginia and Maryland. One notable individual was Sir Henry Bethel (1617-1677), a British politician and lawyer who served as a Member of Parliament and was appointed to the Council of Virginia in the 1660s.
Another prominent figure was Maximilian Bethel (1639-1718), a English-born landowner and merchant who settled in Virginia and became one of the wealthiest individuals in the colony. He played a significant role in the development of the tobacco trade and served in various political positions.
In the 18th century, the surname Bethel continued to be prominent in America, with individuals such as Oliver Bethel (1740-1815), a American Revolutionary War soldier and politician from South Carolina, and John Bethel (1765-1836), a United States Representative from North Carolina.
Throughout history, the surname Bethel has been associated with various notable figures, spanning different fields such as religion, politics, and commerce. While the name has maintained its connection to its Hebrew roots, it has also evolved and taken on new meanings and associations over time.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Bethel
Among Census respondents with the surname Bethel, the largest self-reported group is White at 55.7%. The next largest groups are Black (33.5%) and Two or More Races (5.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Bethel bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Bethel surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White55.7% · 3,961
- Black or African American33.5% · 2,383
- Two or more races5.3% · 374
- Hispanic or Latino3.8% · 272
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.1% · 77
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 48
Timeline
Historical Census data for Bethel
Bethel appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#4,686
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 7,573
+288 bearers (+4.0%)
Per 100,000 2.57
Rank movement Down 203 places
2020
#4,817
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 7,115
-458 bearers (-6.0%)
Per 100,000 2.38
Rank movement Down 131 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #4,483 | 7,285 | 2.70 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #4,686 | 7,573 | 2.57 | +288 bearers (+4.0%) | Down 203 places |
| 2020 | #4,817 | 7,115 | 2.38 | -458 bearers (-6.0%) | Down 131 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Bethel surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #4,686 | #4,817 | -2.8% |
| Count | 7,573 | 7,115 | -6.0% |
| Per 100K | 2.57 | 2.38 | -7.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Bethel bearers went from 7,573 to 7,115 (-6.0% change). The surname moved down 131 positions in the national ranking, going from #4,686 to #4,817.
FAQ
Bethel surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Bethel?
Name Census estimates that about 8,159 living Americans carry the surname Bethel. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 42,009 residents.
How common is Bethel?
Bethel ranks #4,817 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 2.38 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 7,115 people with the surname Bethel. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (8,159), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 2.38 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 2.38 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Bethel.
Has Bethel become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Bethel went from 7,573 recorded bearers to 7,115. That is a decrease of 458 (-6.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #4,686 to #4,817.
What does the Census say about the background of Bethel?
Among Census respondents with the surname Bethel, the largest self-reported group is White at 55.7%. The next largest groups are Black (33.5%) and Two or More Races (5.3%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Bethel in the 2020 Census, accounting for 55.7% (3,961 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Bethel appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (55.7%), Black (33.5%), Two or More Races (5.3%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Bethel (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Bethel mean?
A topographic surname referring to someone who lived near a bethel, meaning "house of God" in Hebrew. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Bethel (2.38 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many Americans have the surname Bethel?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.