Beth
Masculine · “my God is an oath”
Beth is given to girls far more often — 159,430 girls against 325 boys since 1880. See Beth as a girl name
Beth entered the US charts in 1954, peaked at #1839 in 1963, is rarely given in 2025 — given to only a few children a year.
How old is the name Beth?
Beth first appears in US birth records in 1954 — 71 years ago. The typical Beth alive today was born around 1967, making them about 58 years old. About 300 people named Beth are estimated to be alive in the US today.
When was the name Beth most popular?
Beth peaked in 1963, reaching #1839 nationally. See the whole 1963 chart.
Where it comes from
From Elisheva to Beth
The story of Beth
Elizabeth was among the most-given names in English for four centuries and generated more short forms than any other, because a name that common needs them. Most were taken from the front of the word; Beth comes from the back of the first half, which makes it distinctive. Little Women in 1868 gave a Beth to millions of readers, and the short form began to be registered as a legal name from the early twentieth century, peaking in America in the early 1960s.
Meaning
my God is an oath
Through Elizabeth, from the Hebrew Elisheva — el, 'God', and sheva, 'oath' or 'seven', the two being connected in Hebrew. The second reading of the same elements gives 'my God is abundance'. Both are standard.
How the name formed
- Elisheva
- Elizabeth
- Beth
Related forms: Bethan · Elisheva · Beathag
Pronouncing Beth
BETH
One syllable, th as in 'thin'. Said identically everywhere in English.
Nicknames for Beth
Moderate
What the data says
146 years of official birth records
The long climb, and where it stands now
The same years in position rather than babies
- First recorded
- 1954
- Most boys named
- 196319 — the highest on record
- Peak rank
- #1839reached in 1963
- Change vs 1987
- −28.6%5 in 1989, from 7
Rank is a position, a count is a headcount, and they move independently — a name can hold its rank while the number of babies behind it falls. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration.
Beth in other languages
The same name elsewhere
- Bethan in Welsh — related form
- Elisheva in Hebrew — related form
- Beathag in Scottish — related form
Beths among us
people named Beth are estimated to be alive in the US today
Estimated from SSA birth records and published actuarial life tables. Method
Is it right for you
Questions parents actually ask
Fashion outlook
Beth sits outside the current charts, and that is its own kind of answer: naming cycles can only date the names they carried up. A name this rare has no decade stamped on it — it cannot go out of fashion, because it was never in.
Based on 146 years of naming cycles. How we read them
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What they receive
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Beth
Masculine
Frequently asked
- How many Beths are there in the world?
- No country counts the world's names, so there is no worldwide figure — anyone quoting one is estimating. About 300 people named Beth are estimated to be alive in the US today.
- How popular is the name Beth in 2025?
- Beth is rarely given in the US today — it does not rank in the top 2000 boy names.
- Will my child share the name Beth with classmates?
- Beth will almost certainly be the only one in school.
More B names
The most-given names starting with B, all years combined.
Brian#339 · Benjamin#11 · Brandon#261 · Bryan#336 · Bruce#536 · Billy#1068 · Bobby#1097 · Bradley#403
Looking for what else is popular rather than what resembles Beth? See the current top 100.
Choosing between Beth and another name?
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US figures from the Social Security Administration. 1880–2025. Data & methodology
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