Girl · Aramaic (via Greek) · Christian
Bethany
BethanySay it BETH-uh-nee
- Meaning today
- House of figs
- Original meaning
- "date-house; a village near Jerusalem" Strong's Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible, G963
- Say it
- BETH-uh-nee
- Other spellings
- Bethanie, Bethania
Bethany
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Bethany meaning
Bethany is a Christian girl's name of Aramaic origin (via Greek).
Meaning today
House of figs
Original Aramaic (via Greek) meaning
"date-house; a village near Jerusalem"
Source: Strong's Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible (1890), Greek Dictionary of the New Testament, G963 · entry Bethania · See the entry · checked 25 Oct 2026
Bethany is the village near Jerusalem where Jesus stayed with Mary, Martha and Lazarus, and where he raised Lazarus from the dead. The first part is beth, 'house', but the rest is debated. Strong's Concordance gives 'date-house', Thayer's lexicon 'house of misery', and name lists today usually say 'house of figs', a reading proposed by later scholars. Whatever the root, the name carries the warmth of that household of friends. Indian Christians use it for daughters, and also for many churches, schools and homes.
References: Strong's G963, Bethania (Bible Hub) · Wikipedia, Bethany (given name)
Popularity abroad
- #752 United States, girls 2025 (down 27 from 725 in 2024)
US Social Security Administration - #585 England and Wales, girls 2025
Office for National Statistics
Official birth registrations. India publishes no national name statistics.
Spellings
Bethany · Bethanie · Bethania