Bethel
Girl name · #3395 in 2025 · Very rare
In 2025, 45 baby girls were named Bethel, placing it at #3395 in the official national rankings. A decade ago it stood at #2555, so the name has been falling over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 40,000 girls born in 2025 was named Bethel.
The 135-year story
Bethel first appears in the Social Security records in 1890, when 6 girls received the name. Its peak came in 1922, when 119 girls were named Bethel — good for #665 that year. Today's parents encounter it as a name from their grandparents’ generation, which is precisely the vintage window from which names get revived. Following the curve matters more than today's snapshot: a name's position on its rise-peak-decline arc is the best predictor of how common it will feel in a kindergarten class five years from now.
Babies named Bethel per year. Source: SSA.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Bethel against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Bethel in class?
On our rarity read — which blends how common Bethel is today with its five-year momentum — the name reads as "very rare". A high score means genuine rarity — your Bethel will likely be the only one in the room, with the occasional spelling-out as the price.
Where Bethel is most common
State-level data for Bethel is too sparse in 2025 to rank by rate — in most states its count falls below the SSA's per-state reporting threshold (counts under 5 are withheld).
Names like Bethel
Statistically, parents drawn to Bethel tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Eveline, Adella, Evelyne, Verena, and Rubie.
EvelineAdellaEvelyneVerenaRubieMaidaJewelEulalia
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Bethel | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 45 | #3389 |
| 2024 | 42 | #3639 |
| 2023 | 42 | #3640 |
| 2022 | 42 | #3653 |
| 2021 | 63 | #2715 |
| 2020 | 54 | #2966 |
| 2019 | 57 | #2891 |
| 2018 | 82 | #2238 |
| 2017 | 66 | #2635 |
| 2016 | 79 | #2366 |
| 2015 | 70 | #2555 |
| 2014 | 59 | #2888 |
| 2013 | 50 | #3218 |
| 2012 | 53 | #3134 |
| 2011 | 48 | #3350 |
| 2010 | 47 | #3409 |
| 2009 | 49 | #3361 |
| 2008 | 38 | #4089 |
| 2007 | 33 | #4475 |
| 2006 | 24 | #5545 |
| 2005 | 35 | #4029 |
| 2004 | 38 | #3748 |
| 2003 | 24 | #5092 |
| 2002 | 33 | #3889 |
| 2001 | 24 | #4834 |
Frequently asked questions
Is Bethel a popular girl name?
Bethel ranked #3395 among girls in 2025 with 45 babies given the name — outside the top 500, making it an uncommon pick. Ten years earlier it ranked #2555.
When was the name Bethel most popular?
Bethel peaked in 1922, when 119 American girls received the name (ranked #665 that year). Since 1922 the name has declined from that high.
How rare is the name Bethel?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 40,000 newborn American girls was named Bethel. On our rarity scale (rarity blended with momentum) we classify it as "very rare".
Data source: U.S. Social Security Administration name statistics, 1880–2025, national and state files. Counts reflect Social Security card applications; names with fewer than 5 occurrences in a state-year are suppressed by the SSA.