Fun Facts About the Name Bethlehem
- 472 babies named Bethlehem: U.S. records list 472 babies given the name Bethlehem from 1880 through 2025.
What Does the Name Bethlehem Mean?
Bethlehem is a name of Hebrew origin meaning "house of bread." It comes from two Hebrew elements: bet, "house," and leḥem, "bread" or "food." The same two components appear in the name of the Judean town, which is spelled Bēthleem in Greek and Bethlehem in Latin. The Arabic form of the place name, Bayt Laḥm, means "house of meat," but that is a later reinterpretation shaped by the sound of the Arabic words rather than the original sense of the Hebrew.
A minority scholarly view holds that the second element is not the ordinary word for bread but the name of a Canaanite deity, Laḫmu, which would give a sense closer to "house of Lahmu" or "temple of Lahmu." This explanation is disputed and is not the customary reading. Christian tradition has also read the literal meaning "house of bread" symbolically, linking the town to the bread of the Eucharist and to Jesus as the bread of life; that is a later devotional interpretation, not the name's etymology.
Bethlehem Name History & Origins
The town of Bethlehem lies in the hill country of Judah, south of Jerusalem, and its name is attested in ancient Near Eastern records. It appears in the Amarna letters of the fourteenth century BCE in a form transliterated as Bit-Laḫmi, which is generally identified with the Judean town. In the Hebrew Bible, Bethlehem is the setting for the book of Ruth and is called the city of David, since David was born and anointed there. The Bible also mentions a separate Bethlehem in the territory of Zebulun, which is why the Judean town is often distinguished as Bethlehem Ephrathah.
The name passed into Greek as Bēthleem and into Latin as Bethlehem through the Septuagint and the Vulgate. In the Gospels of Matthew and Luke, Bethlehem of Judea is the birthplace of Jesus, and that association gave the name wide circulation in Christian Greek, Latin, and later European languages. In medieval England the form Bethlem developed; the London priory of St Mary of Bethlehem, founded in the thirteenth century as a hospital, is the source of the word "Bedlam," a shortened and altered form of the same name.
As a personal given name, Bethlehem is uncommon in English-speaking countries but is used in Christian communities, particularly in parts of West Africa, where names drawn from the Bible are traditional. Its use as a personal name follows from the town's religious significance rather than from an earlier independent naming tradition.
How Popular is the Name Bethlehem?
Bethlehem has historically been an exceptionally rare given name in the United States, remaining well outside the national mainstream. It saw its highest recorded annual births in 2015. Its best rank was #5,490 in 2015.
U.S. name popularity from 1880-2025, based on SSA data. Rank shows how the name compares with other names - lower numbers mean greater popularity. Births shows how many babies received the name each year.
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #10,228 | 9 | 0.0006% |
| 2024 | #9,631 | 10 | 0.0006% |
| 2023 | #13,710 | 6 | 0.0004% |
| 2022 | #12,443 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 2021 | #7,687 | 14 | 0.0009% |
| 2020 | #10,378 | 9 | 0.0006% |
| 2019 | #6,751 | 17 | 0.0010% |
| 2018 | #7,817 | 14 | 0.0008% |
| 2017 | #6,330 | 19 | 0.0011% |
| 2016 | #9,514 | 11 | 0.0006% |
| 2015 | #5,490 | 24 | 0.0013% |
| 2014 | #8,553 | 13 | 0.0007% |
| 2013 | #7,102 | 17 | 0.0010% |
| 2012 | #7,869 | 15 | 0.0009% |
| 2011 | #9,828 | 11 | 0.0006% |
| 2010 | #6,687 | 19 | 0.0011% |
| 2009 | #8,120 | 15 | 0.0008% |
| 2008 | #7,468 | 17 | 0.0009% |
| 2007 | #7,786 | 16 | 0.0008% |
| 2006 | #7,198 | 17 | 0.0009% |
| 2005 | #8,411 | 13 | 0.0007% |
| 2004 | #6,262 | 19 | 0.0010% |
| 2003 | #8,065 | 13 | 0.0007% |
| 2002 | #7,493 | 14 | 0.0008% |
| 2001 | #10,227 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 2000 | #6,850 | 15 | 0.0008% |
| 1999 | #6,232 | 16 | 0.0009% |
| 1998 | #9,365 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 1997 | #6,535 | 14 | 0.0008% |
| 1996 | #6,444 | 14 | 0.0008% |
| 1995 | #7,577 | 11 | 0.0006% |
| 1993 | #10,736 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1992 | #7,106 | 12 | 0.0007% |
| 1991 | #13,393 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1990 | #9,342 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 1989 | #8,845 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 1985 | #10,834 | 5 | 0.0003% |
Name popularity over more than a century, based on Social Security Administration data. Gaps in the chart indicate years when the name does not appear in the published records.
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How the Name Bethlehem Shapes Your Personality and Life?
You can go to great heights and equally great depths. You are emotional and fixed in your opinions. You are hospitable, sentimental, often psychic, sometimes moody. You are ruled by love and the lack of it and feel a need to be encouraged and appreciated. You have an eventful, exciting life. You are versatile and have the ability to learn easily.
You find the best contentment in life when you own your own home and provide well for your family and loved ones. You have a great sense of responsibility and duty. You are comforting, appreciative and affectionate. Your obligation in life is to hold justice and truth, and if you follow the Law, you can find the great happiness and satisfaction.
✦ Bethlehem's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Bethlehem's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.