Beth

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Beth

Gender: Feminine
Language: English
Etymology:
Beth is short for Elizabeth, the English form of the Hebrew name, Elisheva, or Elisheba. Originally it meant “My God is Bountiful,” “God of Plenty,” “Consecrated to God,” “Oath of God,” “God is Satisfaction,” or “God is Perfection.”
-or-
Beth is short for Bethany, a Hebrew name meaning “House of Sorrow.”

History:
Beth first became common during the late 19th century. Before then, most girls named Elizabeth were nicknamed Betsy or Eliza, occasionally Bettie or Lizzie.

Its popular origin was probably Louisa May Alcott’s Little Women of 1868, which featured a young girl named Beth (the character was based on her sister, Elizabeth Alcott). The name Beth first appears on the charts in the 1880s, no doubt adopted by the first generation of girls to grow up adoring the novels of Miss Alcott.

Beth reached its pinnacle in the mid-20th century, when the practice of giving nicknames as first names was common.

Pronunciation: beth

Alternates:
Welsh: Bethan.

Famous Bearers:
Artists and Authors:
Beth Henley ( Elizabeth Becker Heney) (1952-)
American playwright. Wrote Crimes of the Heart.

Fictional Characters:
Elizabeth “Beth” March (1868-69)
From Little Woman by Louisa May Alcott. The tragic sister, who dies young.

Popularity:
Percentage from the 1990 U.S. Census:
0.110% named Beth

Popularity of Beth:
Popularity (for newborns):
In the United States...
1880-1883: N/A
1884: 930th most popular.
1885: 745th most popular.
1886: 541st most popular.
1887: 693rd most popular.
1888: 959th most popular.
1889: 486th most popular.
1890: 693rd most popular.
1891: 524th most popular.
1892: 685th most popular.
1893: 536th most popular.
1894: 597th most popular.
1895: 658th most popular.
1896: 565th most popular.
1897: 585th most popular.
1898: 697th most popular.
1899: 526th most popular.
1900: 656th most popular.
1901: 660th most popular.
1902: 623rd most popular.
1903: 573rd most popular.
1904: 629th most popular.
1905: 777th most popular.
1906: 642nd most popular.
1907: 623rd most popular.
1908: 519th most popular.
1909: 509th most popular.
1910: 518th most popular.
1911: 464th most popular.
1912: 419th most popular.
1913: 436th most popular.
1914: 402nd most popular.
1915: 410th most popular.
1916: 363rd most popular.
1917: 363rd most popular.
1918: 354th most popular.
1919: 342nd most popular.
1920: 349th most popular.
1921: 347th most popular.
1922: 385th most popular.
1923: 393rd most popular.
1924: 379th most popular.
1925: 387th most popular.
1926: 374th most popular.
1927: 386th most popular.
1928: 396th most popular.
1929: 408th most popular.
1930: 415th most popular.
1931: 418th most popular.
1932: 393rd most popular.
1933: 404th most popular.
1934: 343rd most popular.
1935: 345th most popular.
1936: 349th most popular.
1937: 322nd most popular.
1938: 310th most popular.
1939: 277th most popular.
1940: 290th most popular.
1941: 260th most popular.
1942: 269th most popular.
1943: 242nd most popular.
1944: 239th most popular.
1945: 234th most popular.
1946: 232nd most popular.
1947: 217th most popular.
1948: 223rd most popular.
1949: 202nd most popular.
1950: 177th most popular.
1951: 156th most popular.
1952: 146th most popular.
1953: 142nd most popular.
1954: 130th most popular.
1955: 133rd most popular.
1956: 117th most popular.
1957: 108th most popular.
1958: 95th most popular.
1959: 80th most popular.
1960: 72nd most popular.
1961: 65th most popular. - Peak!
1962: 66th most popular.
1963: 66th most popular.
1964: 65th most popular.
1965: 66th most popular.
1966: 65th most popular.
1967: 67th most popular.
1968: 74th most popular.
1969: 82nd most popular.
1970: 92nd most popular.
1971: 100th most popular.
1972: 113th most popular.
1973: 117th most popular.
1974: 117th most popular.
1975: 120th most popular.
1976: 114th most popular.
1977: 97th most popular.
1978: 107th most popular.
1979: 117th most popular.
1980: 106th most popular.
1981: 125th most popular.
1982: 138th most popular.
1983: 169th most popular.
1984: 168th most popular.
1985: 199th most popular.
1986: 228th most popular.
1987: 267th most popular.
1988: 286th most popular.
1989: 374th most popular.
1990: 414th most popular.
1991: 473rd most popular.
1992: 538th most popular.
1993: 657th most popular.
1994: 692nd most popular.
1995: 738th most popular.
1996: 858th most popular.
1997: 874th most popular.
1998-2004: N/A

Selected Sources:
A Dictionary of First Names, Hanks and Hodges, 1990
The Penguin Dictionary of First Names, Pickering, 1999

The Social Security Administration Actuarial Note 139 (www.ssa.gov) - For popularity stats 1880-Present
The 1880 U.S. Census- For popularity stats 1850-1880, and other information (it is available on-line at www.familysearch.org)