Holding steady, #10,107 for girls today.
Popularity of Bethlehem since 1985
Babies named Bethlehem per year in U.S. Social Security records.
Data table (by decade)
| Decade | Girls |
|---|---|
| 1980s | 13 |
| 1990s | 96 |
| 2000s | 148 |
| 2010s | 160 |
| 2020s | 55 |
Meaning & origin
Bethlehem is a geographically and religiously significant name, directly drawn from the Hebrew town name meaning 'house of bread.' Its use as a given name in the United States is modern: first recorded in 1985, it is consistently rare. As of 2025, it ranked #10,107, with an estimated 1 in 178,585 newborns receiving the name. Favorite among Christian families, it peaked in 2015 at the same rank, indicating a small but steady niche. The name has not been associated with any particular region, as its top states record shows zero entries, suggesting it is spread thinly across the country. Unlike more common biblical toponyms, Bethlehem has not broken into the mainstream, remaining a distinctive choice.
Bethlehem derives from the Hebrew Beit Lechem, meaning 'house of bread' or 'house of food.' The name is famously associated with the town in Judea (now the West Bank) that, according to the Gospels, was the birthplace of Jesus. As a given name, it was first recorded in the U.S. in 1985, likely chosen by Christian families for its religious significance. Its use remains rare but has seen modest growth, with a peak rank of #10,107 in 2015.
Sibling names for Bethlehem
Names that share Bethlehem's style, for a brother or sister.
